Glass Behind the Blue
by Taisi
Summary: Behind the blue eyes came up a glass wall, inviting all to look, but none to enter: and only one person ever tried to break through. -No yaoi
1. Prologue

**Ah, another Naruto fic. Can you blame me? I know some of my other reviewers are probably plotting my death right now, and I don't blame them - I should focus on my other fics. Personally, the only reason I think I'm still alive is because they have no idea how my stories will end. I'm that unpredictable. Kind of sad, really...**

**Anywho, I hope you enjoy this fic! I started righting it when I was feeling rather morose, so...Blame my depression-swings for any unsatisfactory stuffses! The beginning is Naruto POV, if you couldn't guess by reading it. -**.**- **

**Summary: Behind the blue eyes came up a glass wall, inviting all to look, but none to enter; and only one person ever tried to break through. Dark Naruto; No yaoi**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Prologue_

They say pain doesn't hurt as much when it's all you've ever known. I don't know who first said that, but they weren't right. How would they know how it feels to be so alone, so damn messed up inside that you can't walk down the street without flinching when a bird flies over you? How could they understand the lonliness that swamps you when you come home to a rundown apartment on the outskirts of town where all the drunkards and homeless thieves live, with no one there at all to welcome your return? How do they know how it feels to be scorned and beaten and ignored for something you didn't do, by a village you've never wronged?

Bleeding all alone in a dark alley, lacking the strength to move for hours; watching the backs of the men who walk away after hitting and kicking you for hours on end, just because they were bored. Being sought out just as something to beat until you were literally seconds from death. Watching your blood pool out of your wounds because you had no bandages. And thinking how cruel fate was, keeping you alive.

It's amazing...even then, as young as I was, I wanted to die. Even when I had medical supplies, it got to the point where I didn't use them. I watched each new bead of blood slide down my skin, hoping that _that_ would be the one to end me. And each time, the revulsive, hated chakra inside me would heal me - but it would never stop the pain.

Pain...

I've looked that word up in dictionaries: "Punishment suffered or denounced; suffering or evil inflicted as a punishment for crime, or connected with the commission of a crime; penalty." I've got the definition down to memory; I can quote every word.

But what about the pain that goes more than skin deep?

What about the mental anguish? I have wronged no one - why do I deserve such a penalty as the world seems to denounce appropriate? No one...I don't care who they are, or what they've done..._no one_ deserves to be treated like this.

To be trapped...to feel confined no matter where you are. To know that no matter where you go, or what you do, all you'll get is the hateful glares, and the cold shoulders.

When you're little...attention is everything. You need smiles - warmth - hugs; you need someone older to look up to, to idolize, and thus, to shape yourself to be like. I had nothing like that. Ever. I never even had a friend.

Sasuke...

I don't hate him. I'm not even jealous of him; so many people are. I wouldn't understand why. It makes no sense, really; he lost everything. Even though his life was so trying, living in the Uchiha clan - he had precious ones, a father and a mother, even an older brother, who, as distant as he was, still indirectly looked out for him. Yes, he lost it all...

...but at least he had it once.

I think now...how good of friends we'd be, if we'd only spoken to each other, then. We were so similar...orphans, alone. But...I was too afraid. I was always so scared of everyone around me, even my peers. Those eyes...so cold...Like my death would be welcomed, and rejoiced. And there was never a doubt in my mind that that was true. So I kept away from him; I watched from the trees as he trained alone in the forest - I saw all the tears he shed when he thought no one was watching. I saw him give up so many times and leave in a fury, only to return when he remembered that if he went home, it'd be to an empty house. His reasoning made sense to me - I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept in my apartment. I spent most nights in the forest, sleeping with the only creatures who would accept me; the foxes.

The foxes were what kept me sane. Each night I would stumble into their wood, dripping blood over the matted leaves on the forest floor, and they would rush out to meet me seconds later from various places in the foliage, whimpering and crying out to me; and sometimes I would stay conscious long enough to reassure them. They would curl by me, and whisper comfort in my ear their mysterious language - and soon I would understand what they were saying, and communicate in just the same fashion. They were my protection, my security - my only friends.

For when I was away from my forest-dwelling friends, I fashioned for myself a mask. It wasn't tangible - and it could not be seen by most. But it worked, so well; too well, if I think about it long enough. I started speaking out, brazenly disobeying orders, disrespecting everyone around me, as they disrespected me. I began to slack off in class, watching as my sensei wrote out all the questions across the board, and answering them correctly in my head before stupidly failing them aloud. It was kind of fun; throwing up a different persona for show.

It was saddening though...that no one ever looked through it. Iruka-sensei tried, tried hard - he knew there was more to me. But each time he nearly broke through the glass wall seperating me from everyone else, I panicked and hid down even further inside myself. I guess he realized his attempts scared me, so he backed off and let me fool the world with my jovial, loud-mouthed persona. I was left alone...

Alone...that's another word I know well...

But a part of me hated my weakness. That's why each time I hit the ground that was muddied with my blood, I would turn my faces up to my attackers and glare; nothing too impressive - just a glare and usually a ground curse. It earned me more pain, but by then I'd be too numb to feel anything until morning. That's why my mornings were hell; to wake up with all that pain, doubled during the night...At least I healed quickly.

I don't blame anyone, really, for how things turned out. It wasn't the Yondaime's fault; he did what he had to for Konoha - I respect, and even admire, him for that. In fact, I'm helping my village, too. If I were to die, whose to say Kyuubi wouldn't break out of the seal last second and attack the village again? No one's around who could seal him in again. The people who could are always traveling or something.

Hell, I don't even blame Kyuubi for how messed up my life is. It's not like he chose me - picked me out of the crowd - to be sealed inside. And he gives me reserve chakra for when I'm near death; he's saved my life so many times, and he's the one who taught me how to speak to foxes. There are other kitsune, too, that he introduced me to; one was a three-tails, and two were one-tails. The foxes actually liked me, I think - we spend days when they're nearby just lying about in the forest, doing nothing, and shirking any responsibilty we may have (like going to that Academy for more ridicule, in my case) just to enjoy each others' company for as long as we could: let come what may.

They--and the kitsune--were the ones who taught me _dattebayo_.

And it was during one of my recovery stays at one of their dens near the edge of the forest that my life somewhat turned around - for better or for worse, I've yet to decide.

---

"Hahaha!" The blonde boy raced ahead of the trio of foxes, grinning widely. "Can't keep up, can ya?"

The foxes loudly voiced that they were _letting_ him win since he'd been hurt, to which he responded with a incredulous chuckle - "Yeah, right!"

The oldest of the foxes, one with a pure white coat, was named Heijiko. The other two, twin golden-coated, white-pawed kits, were called Keijo and Neiko. Then the oldest of the little foxes called them to a stop. He sniffed the air, dark eyes troubled, and then turned to the right and ran that way, leaving Naruto and the twins behind to catch up. As they ran through the foliage of the forest, Naruto caught the scent that had so upset Heijiko; blood.

It took them moments to track the scent to a dying fox - that was why Heijiko had reacted so strongly; it was one of his own kind. Heijiko, Keijo and Neiko grouped around it at once, sniffing and whimpering, nudging it with their snouts. Naruto knelt beside it, turning it onto it's side. "Poor guy..." he whispered softly, "he was left here to die alone..."

The little thing was tawny orange, with white paws and a white-tipped tail. Its chest barely rose and fell with its shallow, unsteady breathing and its eyes were closed. Keijo and Neiko whimpered pathetically, having no experience with death close-hand - they were too young to have remembered their parents' deaths - but Heijiko immediately looked to Naruto. He pawed at the boy's scarred, bruised hand, expressive eyes saying clearly, 'Help him; you know what it feels like'. But the boy needed no encouragement; he was already stroking the fox, murmuring softly to it in its own language (a series of soft barks and whines).

_I have no clue what to do_, he thought nervously, keeping his face a carefully composed calm for the young ones. _I don't know...how can I help it? Even if I tried to take it to Oji-san...the Kage tower is in the middle of the village...He...he would die before then..._

His mind was racing; he vaguely remember the large estate on the outskirts of the village. Surely - _surely_ they would be able to help; Naruto could work miracles with basic medical supplies.

_But...would they let me..._

In his arms, the little fox whimpered so softly Naruto almost didn't hear it. Naruto looked from it, to Heijiko, to Neiko and Keijo and back to the wounded one, frantically weighing his options...

_I'll try the house first...when they throw me out I'll rush as quick as I can to Oji-san...I'll feed it my chakra if I have to - I will not let this one die!_

So he gathered the kit closer to him and sprinted into the trees, his fox-friends following close behind. Naruto poured everything he had into his speed; he pushed his legs faster than they were supposed to go - still slightly pained from the last night's beatings - and urged himself to run.

If not for his panic, he would have realized exactly _why_ he remembered this house, and just who lived there.

---

He frowned, hearing the knocks sound once again on the front door; he'd thought at first that if he ignored them, whoever was at the door would lose patience and leave - but not this guy. He was irritated - couldn't people leave him alone? - and was about to go out through the window onto the roof to ignore this visitor with more efficiancy - probably another villager come to say how sorry they were about his Clan's death - when a voice cried from outside, "Please, please...!"

Now he blinked, rising from his chair, laying his book aside. _Who...?_

"You've got to be kidding me! I know you're home, you _never leave_."

A kid! From the sound of their voice, his own age. He hurried to the door, hand on the knob, but hesitated at the last second. What if it was a trick? Or worse, someone - a classmate, perhaps - there on the doorstep proclaiming just how much they admired him for his shuriken throwing, or his perfect grades, or, hell, his clothes. He glared hard at the door, moving his hand away. He jumped when the person outside kicked the door - hard - and yelled,

"IF YOU DON'T OPEN THE DOOR, HE'S GOING TO DIE!"

That startled the boy into yanking wide open the door, to find himself under the impatient glare of a panicked blonde boy clutching a bleeding fox with three more at his feet.

**Okay, I have to stop there. These **_**baka**_**s at my back are ordering me off the computer. -sigh- I hate authority. Please review, and don't flame!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Sorry this update took so long! It may be a little OOC, but I'm working on it, 'kays? This is gonna be a shorter fic, but…**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter One_

He was under the scrutiny of two very mistrustful blue eyes.

After the blonde boy had burst into his home and demanded medical supplies, Sasuke had rushed to obey his unhesitant order for more gauze or antiseptic; it felt good, actually, having someone his age unafraid to boss him around. It made him a little indignant, but it was his first real interaction with someone his age, and he didn't want to ruin it.

He was amazed at how steady this kid's hands were; they moved surely, swiftly, wrapping the medical tape securely around the kit's stomach, managing somehow to lift the kit up to get the tape around in a complete circle. Sasuke only watched, finding himself a little afraid for the fox, caught up in the moment. The blonde boy's eyes were firm, betraying nothing as he worked, and the only signs of his distress were the anxious shining on his forehead, and the way he bit his lip as the blood spilt onto the counter. The three little foxes at his feet brushed against his ankles, mewing up in support and reassurance.

When the kit had fallen asleep, the blonde boy sank against the counter. "He…'ll be okay…" He wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist, leaving a bloody smear. Sasuke frowned at him.

"Go wash off, that's disgusting!"

The dark-eyed boy blinked when his 'guest' of sorts' eyes widened the minute he raised his voice. It wasn't a gesture of shock; it was more of a reflexive twitch, like he was expecting something to follow the rise of volume. Obsidian eyes missed nothing as they scrutinized the orange-clad, fox-befriended boy before them; scars permeated his flesh, bruises clouding up the fair skin. He was far too young to be a ninja—Sasuke hadn't seen him in the Academy before—and from the way he was staring at him, it was almost as though he was expecting Sasuke to hit him. And while he was a bit smaller, he was about Sasuke's age—why would he fear a strike from him?

And then Sasuke realized; was _he _the _Kyuubi no gaki _everyone would mutter about? The demon that terrorized the village on a daily basis? The boy that beat up kids because he enjoyed it?

This trembling, angel-faced _shrimp _couldn't be that great demon's vessel; who would have reason to hate such a weakling? Nevertheless…

"Hey…are you Kyuubi's vessel?" The words were out of his mouth before Sasuke could help it; he wasn't an idiot. He put two-and-two together, even though the children weren't told about the Nine-tails. He'd let slip, though, the most secret of secrets in Konoha. _The Kyuubi no gaki isn't supposed to know! _he though, flustered, when the blonde boy whispered, "Yes…"

Sasuke widened his eyes at him. "Eh?"

"I said yes. I'm Kyuubi's vessel." The silence that followed stretched until the fox-boy whispered, "Are you going to hit me, or yell or throw me out?"

Sasuke slowly recovered from his shock, thinking himself an idiot; _who _was more likely to find out about the demon than the one the demon was _sealed in! _Of course this kid would have realized by now! So he blinked and asked, "Why would I do that?"

And, though the boy's eyes showed surprise, his answer was unhesitant; "'Cause the entire village hates me, and you'd get real popular with all the other kids in the _Academy _if you beat up the disgusting demon child."

Sasuke felt himself beginning to glare; and made himself stop when the blonde shrank back a little more. "Has that happened before?"

"Usually on a daily basis," the vessel said kneeling a bit so the foxes could race up his arms, two settling on his shoulders, the third on his head. "But sometimes I can get into the forest before they catch me." Abashed at speaking so much, he fell silent.

"You go into the _forest?" _Sasuke asked incredulously. That place was dangerous!

"Uh-huh. But I've got the foxes to look after me." He kept his gaze lowered; the respect he was receiving made Sasuke fidgety—he'd done nothing to deserve it.

"Look at me when you talk!" the dark-eyed boy snapped, and bit his tongue when the bright blue eyes that flew up to meet his darker gaze filled with fear. _He's never gonna trust me, _Sasuke thought ruefully, rubbing his hands through his hair. "Dammit…"

"Gomen…"

"Don't," Sasuke said at once, getting frustrated. "Don't apologize for yourself, alright?"

Abashed, the blonde averted his gaze again, lowering it to the counter. "I'll leave once Iko is better."

Sasuke blinked again, frowning. "I didn't say I wanted you to leave…"

The blonde boy smiled, truly, at him. "Yes, but it's better for you if I go. You don't want people to think you've befriended me."

Sasuke scowled, crossing his arms. "Why should I care what they think?"

"'Cause you'll have to work with them as ninja someday," the blue-eyed container said solemnly. "You'll be comrades, and you'll depend on each other in the battles. That's why you should have lots of friends."

Sasuke didn't point out the obvious—that the one giving the, however truthful, little lecture was devoid of any human friends—but instead asked, "Why'd you name it Iko?"

"'Cause it's an orphan—it's family left it to die." He stroked it softly as it slept. "I thought it was a fitting name."

After a moment, Sasuke asked, "What's your name?"

He froze, hand still on the fox. Then he relaxed slightly and, without looking at Sasuke, said, "Uzumaki Naruto…."

--

He flipped the light on and led Naruto into the very spacious room. "This is the guest room," he said, stopping in the middle. "You can sleep here."

"You know I have an apartment, right?" Naruto asked softly.

"Yeah, but this way no one'll come to beat you up," Sasuke said, raising his eyebrows in the 'isn't it obvious?' fashion.

"They'll just do it later," Naruto said, clutching his foxes closer to him. "It's not like I can stay here forever."

Sasuke looked airily around the room. "Mm…we'll see." He waved at the blonde boy as he trotted back out. "My room's down the hall. Tell me if someone tries to kill you during the night, alright?" He'd meant it as a joke, but he'd received a somber nod. He stared for a moment, then kind of laughed a little nervously and ducked down the hall. _Has…that happened before? _Sasuke's eyes darkened at once, and his hands clenched into fists. _Like hell it will now! _

It was only by mere coincidence that Uchiha Sasuke began to befriend Uzumaki Naruto—had it been anyone else, the same scenario playing in the same fashion, the same friendship might have struck. Maybe…

But as Sasuke clambered gracelessly into bed, sliding snugly under his blankets, he felt a very heavy happiness settle over him with weight. It felt so good to be sleeping under the same roof as someone else; it seemed like he'd been in the huge, empty home forever—company was nice.

And as he rolled over onto his side, eyes beginning to slide shut, he found himself nose-to-nose with a bright-eyed little fox.

Biting back a startled cry, Sasuke shot up straight. "Wh-wh-what are you doing?" he hissed quietly, trying to control his shocked stutter.

The little creature cocked its head.

"Wait, which one are you?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at it in the dark, trying to tell it apart from the rest, when his eyes alighted on the bandages wrapped around its middle. "Ah! You're Iko, aren't you?"

The fox cocked its head to the other side, ears following noises too fine for a human's.

"What are you doing moving around?" Sasuke kind of moaned nervously, unsure whether or not to pick it up. "You should still be sleeping!"

The little creature raised its snout and sniffed, then looked at Sasuke again. Sasuke frowned, and then realization lit his face. "Ah! Are you looking for Naruto?...The boy that helped you?" The delicate thing yipped faintly. "Okay, then. C'mere…" The Uchiha heir lifted the fox up very, very carefully and held it tenderly in both arms. He tiptoed down the hall and pushed on Naruto's door; it swung open.

Three pairs of eyes—eerily bright in the darkness—flew to him and locked him in identical unnerving stares. He blinked, but took a few steps into the room; before he had even crossed to the center, he stopped and frowned—Naruto's bed was empty.

As he numbly stared at the empty bed, Iko squirmed; worming its way out of his arms, it dropped soundlessly to the floor and darted to the side, to the window. Sasuke followed it with his eyes.

Naruto looked down at the mew below him and gasped. "Iko!" he said quickly, spinning around where he sat in the windowsill with enough grace not to fall, and scooped the kit up, swiftly yet gently. "You're awake!" The fox wriggled happily up to his face, nuzzling his cheek with its snout. "I'm so glad you're alright." Naruto's laughing eyes happened to flick up and spot the silent Sasuke. The cheer died, and he slid out of the window immediately.

…_Naruto said he'd leave when Iko woke up…. _

"G-Gomen, Uchiha-san…" the vessel said quickly, absently stroking Iko in his nervousness. "I'm…I should be asleep…."

"Now you're apologizing 'cause you didn't go to _sleep _when I gave you your room?" Sasuke glared, beginning to think the blonde was just play-acting. But at the terrified look in Naruto's eyes at the scowl, Sasuke erased that as a possibility; _no one _could act that good. "Ahh, no, I'm sorry," Sasuke muttered; this was going to take some getting used to. Naruto was one of the only people who didn't cry, 'Hiiii, Sasuke-kuuun!' when he approached, or complimented him on ever single move he made. In fact, he rather preferred that to this flinching, frightened shell of a boy. "So, are you going to leave?"

Naruto blinked, genuinely confused. "I thought I was supposed to stay the night…." His eyes widened and he opened his mouth, but before he could apologize, Sasuke was grinning widely.

"No, no, you're right!" He backed up out the door and after a cheery, "Goodnight!" pulled it shut.

Naruto stared after him, even after he'd gone. "I don't understand people, you guys," he told his four furry friends, more loyal than any human, as they all crawled into bed. "Up 'til now, if I speak my mind, or if I don't apologize after every time I speak, I get scolded; now if I _don't _speak my mind or if I _do _apologize, that Uchiha gets upset with me!"

"_It's alright, Naru-kion," _Neiko said soothingly, rubbing against the boy's hand when the vessel lay back in the bed. He and Keijo curled up on either side of his head, Heijiko at his side and Iko on his chest.

"_Don't worry, Naru-kion," _Keijo agreed with his twin, licking the boy's cheek lightly.

"_Yes, we'll be here for you, Naruto-kion," _Heijiko added sleepily.

"_Always, always," _the drowsy Iko whispered quietly. Naruto smiled, snuggling down deeper, shifting so that the foxes moved closer to him; their fur rubbed softly against his skin—it always calmed him.

"…Thank you."

**NOT YAOI.**

**Short, I know, and rushed. –sighs- I'm sorry, truly! I just had to update tonight, because I'm leaving this place soon and I'll never again have access to their computer, thank Kami-sama.**

**"-kion" means nothing signifigant--they call him that 'cause they can. **

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**I know I haven't updated in a few hundred years--gomen!! I've just been really busy, and I haven't had a decent night's sleep in Kami knows how long. But now I _am _updating, and you can celebrate by reviewing!!**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Two_

Breakfast was incredible. Normally Sasuke would just scrounge around for a granola bar or a handful of dry cereal, since he wasn't the world's greatest cook; but today, Naruto had woken up before him and had insisted that he fix breakfast since Sasuke had allowed him to spend the night. Rather than point out that he'd almost dragged Naruto into the room, demanding he stay over, and that Naruto hadn't imposed in any way, Sasuke just sat down at the table and watched with interest the younger blonde work.

He seemed at home in the kitchen, even if he wasn't comfortable in the rest of the house. Soon, the entire estate was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of sizzling bacon and sausage, frying eggs and toast (if toast gives off any aroma at all). To say the least, Sasuke was impressed; Naruto looked much livelier when he had something to do--and the foxes were helping him out by dragging the carton of eggs over to him when he asked for it, or presenting him the spatula when the need for it arose.

But when the job was done and the food had been set, Naruto looked clumsy and uncertain again. "I'll do this dishes once--"

"This is great!" Sasuke interrupted suddenly, not hiding his surprise and elation--finally, someone around who could cook! Naruto blinked, then scowled.

"Always that tone of surprise," he muttered to Iko, who yipped from his shoulder. He caught himself at once whenever Sasuke glanced at him. "A-Ah, I didn't--"

But Sasuke looked awed. "So you do feel resentment," he said in a lightly-sarcastic tone.

"It's been known to happen," Naruto retorted before he could help himself. Looking aghast, he kept a hand clamped over his mouth and strode into the kitchen to wash the dirtied dishes.

"Oi!" Sasuke yelled after him when he dissapeared from view, trying to contain the sudden laughter that wanted out. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"I don't like breakfast," Naruto called back. _More like I usually can't eat any--I can hardly afford lunch or dinner as it is. Good thing ramen's so cheap..._

_"Naruto-kion?" _

Naruto glanced down at Heijiko. "Yeah?"

_"...I think you should trust him."_

Naruto blinked. "...Sasuke?"

_"Yes," _the little creature insisted. _"He feels sympathy for you, as you do for him. He knows at least the surface of the pain you must feel, even though he's yet to understand it completely. That will come with time--I really, really believe he could be a strong friend."_

Naruto had learned never to doubt the foxes when they gave a firm word on something. Even if their ideas turns out to be for the worse, Naruto somehow gains from the ordeal overall, and it all works together better than the alternative would have allowed. And yet...

He still feared--sometimes hated--the villagers, and their lack of understanding. Ever since he was a baby...once he could walk and talk on his own, he'd been abandoned by the midwife who'd grudgingly cared for him--scantly, and to the least possible extent--leaving him to take care of himself at such a young age. The Kyuubi had helped him along, becoming his sole guardian and protector, steering him clear of danger as best as he could--it wasn't always possible, as he was living inside the boy and couldn't always use his vessel's senses--but he kept the boy alive. He and Naruto would have long discussions about anything new the boy discovered that day; and the Nine-tails would never forget the day the boy discovered 'death'.

---

_"Kyuubi-niichan?" the little boy asked suddenly, as he walked aimlessly down the street. People glared at him, and talk died off, to be continued in hush whispers when he passed; he ignored them all, though, keeping his head held high, hands in his pockets as he continued his easy, unhurried stroll. _

_"**Good, good, Naruto--don't show them it effects you**," the Fox muttered absently. "**Yes, what is it**?"_

_"I found something today; a bird."_

_The Fox blinked once, scowling. "**There are birds everywhere, gaki.**"_

_"Yes, but...this one wasn't moving..." As he struggled to find words, he felt the Fox quiet and stop rustling his tails behind the gold bars of the sealed cage. "...and...it was cold."_

_"**...It was dead.**"_

_"Dead?" Naruto blinked at the sky. "What does dead mean?"_

_"**...It means...that the soul has left the body,**" Kyuubi hissed, surprised--as always--to find himself babysitting this foolish little hindrance. Nevertheless, he waited for the boy to ask 'Soul?' before continuing. "**The soul is something inside of every living thing; and when that thing is killed, the soul can no longer remain. Therefore, it leaves, and the body decays--rots,**" he added hastily before the blonde boy could question what 'decays' meant, "**and that is the end of its life."**_

_"Kyuubi-niichan?"_

_He'd stopped trying to stop the boy from calling him that; it wasn't worth the wasted effort. "_**What, **_**gaki**?"_

_"Does everyone die?"_

_"**Eventually, yes.**"_

_"Will you die?"_

_"**Ye--**" He sensed suddenly the child's terror, and sighed. ('What have I become?') "**No, kit--I won't die.**"_

_"Where does the soul go?"_

_Kyuubi frowned again, surprised at the long line of very random questions. "**What do you mean, 'where does the soul go'**?"_

_Naruto had reached the end of the street; he continued walking now, into the forest. The sun was setting, and Kyuubi began to wonder where the boy was going. "Well...it has to go somewhere...doesn't it?" The child scrunched his face in thought. "If the soul...is the life...of a person...then...shouldn't that soul have someplace to go?" He tripped and fell with a yelp, successfully cutting open his knee. The Kyuubi rolled his eyes and healed it, and Naruto beamed and stood. "It's just...if something so important as life just dissapears," he muttered, gazing skyward again, "then...what makes life so important?" _

_Kyuubi was silent, listening carefully to the boy's moment of profound epiphany. _

_"...What makes death...so feared, if nothing comes after it?" Now it was Naruto's turn to frown. "Why should one of those villagers and you go to the same place together, supposing you were to die."_

_As impressed as he was with the boy's strong vocabulary, the words confused the great Bijuu. "**What nonsense are you spouting now, gaki?**" he asked, levelling the boy with a cool stare. The blonde-haired shrugged, unabashed._

_"Someone who takes care of little kids shouldn't go to the same place as someone who beats them up," he reasoned. "So, there has to be someplace, right?"_

_Kyuubi found himself on the verge of saying something very cutting, cynical, saracstic and otherwise hurtful, but he managed to rein it in. "**I suppose that that's true...**"_

_"So people are afraid to die...because they don't know where they'll go," Naruto said with an air of conclusion--and Kyuubi realized that the entire questions-and-answers game had all been to get down to this one final question; a question no one could answer truthfully having been asked straight on: 'Why do people fear death?'_

_"**I think you're correct, kit.**"_

_"I'm not scared," Naruto said suddenly. Kyuubi looked questioningly at him, and he elaborated. "Death is just the next challenge--one more trial. Like hell I'll run from that!" He clenched his small fist; and then the fire died and he let it drop loosely back to his side. "But...it would make me...sad...if someone I loved had to go away forever like that..." He scowled, then brightened. "I know! I'll just devote my life to protecting my precious people! 'tebayo!"_

_And then the boy stopped walking altogether; they were at a small, makeshift shrine. Naruto knelt in front of it, staring at it without any signs of humbleness whatsoever; and before he stood and started walking back the way he'd come, Kyuubi was able to make out the words carved into the rock in a childish scrawl--"Death cannot overcome those with the will to live", and wondered where on earth his vessel had heard them._

_---_

"Fox?"

Kyuubi was interrupted from his reserve. He scowled at the youth standing before him; "_**What?**" _he asked impatiently.

"What should I do?"

Kyuubi sighed; it had been awhile since his container had asked for his advice on anything--usually the blonde-haired would just wait for the Nine-tails to speak up. But now he stood before the cage, looking up at the great beast without any signs of fear or hatred, waiting calmly and patiently for an answer._ **I will never understand this brat, **_he thought with some dry humor, before lowering his great head to be on the boy's eye-level. _"**Obviously,**" _the kitsune said in a houlier-than-thou tone he used quite often. _"**You should leave the village once and for all--but I know that that's out of the question.**" _It amused the beast how deeply Naruto cared for his village; he concerned himself with it more than normal villagers would, despite everything the village had done to him. The thought of running away (from anything, but especially Konoha) was disgusting to his vessel, and it was an option that was not considered one. _"**So maybe you should follow your friends' advice.**"_

Naruto sighed, and looked down; he unconciously made himself look smaller, a defensive habit he'd not excersized in weeks: Kyuubi had begun to get hopeful in thinking the boy had gotten over his fears of people. Apparently, he'd been too hasty. "Yes," Naruto muttered. "Alright. I'll give it a shot."

_"**Gooood gaki,**" _Kyuubi purred sarcastically. Naruto glared, drawing himself back up to his full height.

"Shut up you damn bastard fox!" he shouted, and spun on his heel, marching away; leaving the fox demon to wonder how someone so afraid of a village full of average people could so blatantly curse at the strongest Bijuu. It led to some amusing memories, and Kyuubi was distracted from the rest of Naruto's day.

---

Sasuke watched Naruto reenter the room slowly, and waited for the blonde to speak. He did so, quietly. "Uch--" He stopped at Sasuke's glare. "Sasuke-san?"

"Good enough, I guess," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes; he looked back down in time to see Naruto stick his tongue out at him.

"I need to go back to my apartment..." Naruto noted with some amusement the dissapointment on the heir's face. But, instead of allowing the dark-haired boy to embarress himself by asking the dreaded 'why...?' question, Naruto continued solemnly, "I was wondering if I could stay here for a little while longer."

Sasuke blinked, making no effort to hide his surprise. "What?"

Naruto was beginning to think he'd made a wrong decision, but Iko pawed at his leg reassuringly. "You know, if that's alright..."

Realizing his dubious silence, Sasuke could only nod vigorously.

Naruto exhaled, wondering why he'd been so afraid of the answer to be negatory, and grinned. "So, wanna help me move in?"

**Very strange.**

**..._Very _strange. I hope you enjoyed it anyway, and I will be working harder on the angst part. Gomen for the trouble, arigato for reading! Please review! **

**Ja!**

**-distant6-**


	4. Chapter 3

**This is actually a different take on how I think Naruto handles rainstorms. I mean, I wouldn't really know, but still. I'm the author, so I get to change his reactions towards the same things in varying stories. So there. XP**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Three_

_They couldn't understand. None of the villagers could comprehend what it was about the demon that he seemed to love. Every day they would see the little boy walking down the street, carefully keeping his eyes down and making himself all but invisible--if people hadn't been looking for him, making sure to glare at him as he passed, they probably wouldn't have seen him. But then a man would break free of the crowd that usually gathered to scowl as one at the child would jog to catch up with him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. The demon child would usually look startled, and a little afraid, flinching and whipping his head around to look up at his suden companion; and then, remarkably, he would relax complete without a single fiber of tension to be spoken of, and reach up with one hand to grip the wrist that draped over his shoulder, beaming up at the gentle Chuunin, eyes the brightest blue in the world._

_They didn't understand._

_They hated him--loathed him, wished he would die. They taught their children to throw stones at him as he passed, told them it was alright to call him names and gang up on him. It was okay to hurt him._

_But whenever that shinobi was near him--usually all the time when the Academy wasn't in session--that was near impossible. He would turn usually kind brown eyes to the imposing villagers, startling them with how cold and angry his gaze was. He seemed to be saying, _'How could you hurt him?' _like he was some kind of innocent._

_So, naturally, the villagers began to treat him the same; it started with a muttered insult as he passed by, and progressed slowly to physical actions, like brushing hard past him on the street. He ignored it grimly, but the Kyuubi no gaki noticed at once. He pleaded with the man to leave him alone; if they were going to hurt the Chuunin for his sake, the little boy had said quietly, then he would just stay away from him._

_And once the boy began to avoid the sensei, the village left the latter alone._

_The abuse and hatred picked up again, this time focused soley on Uzumaki Naruto._

_He had to face his pain alone, again._

_But this time it was his fault._

---

They stood back, surveying their handiwork. Naruto's old apartment had been stripped bare of its few furnishings, emptied and cleaned. Sasuke had been to talk with the man in charge for it, who, not mentioning the oddity of being talked business to by a child, merely accepted that the boy wanted him to take back the apartment, and recieved the last payment for it; it was all said and done in a matter of minutes, no paperwork to be spoken of. It made Sasuke angry that they would be so willing to kick Naruto out of his home just because a random kid gave them the money, the keys and told them to.

It wasn't professional, and it wasn't right.

"Well, I gave the bastard his money and his keys," Sasuke said, rejoining Naruto at the door of his apartment; Sasuke noticed that the boy had his foot in the doorway, keeping the door open. He nodded at Sasuke's words without looking at him, standing just so in front of the door that he could see through the crack without having to peer around childishly. Slowly he withdrew his foot and the door began to close.

Sasuke had the feeling that Naruto was closing the door to more than just an apartment, but he said nothing. He waited for a moment while the blonde stood in conflicted silence; as he waited, the raven-haired's eyes traveled towards the window--broken in several places. He frowned at it, but said nothing.

Suddenly Naruto hand flew out and grabbed the door handle slamming shut so loudly his companion flinched. But when he turned to face him, his eyes were bright blue and he was grinning hugely. "Alright," he said with subdued exclamation in his voice; he still wasn't used to being so loud around humans, and it took some effort to raise his voice in the Uchiha's presence.

Sasuke shouldered a bag and grabbed another, and Naruto hefted the last two. "You didn't have much stuff," Sasuke commented before he could stop himself.

"Nope," Naruto agreed cheerfully, and Sasuke sagged with relief.

---

He stopped again and looked back; by now his estate was long out of sight, but he couldn't calm this nagging fear in the pit of his stomach that something huge was going to go very, very wrong while he was gone. Naruto had waved it off with a smile, and told him to 'have fun at school'; but there was a slight trace of subdued sarcasm, a bitter edge in his voice. Sasuke didn't miss it and frowned, but whatever had been there was gone and Naruto chirped "G'bye!"

He had been extremely, freakishly cheerful. Was it to hide something else? Or was he, like the blonde said, being paranoid?

A raindrop hit him squarely on the nose; he blinked and looked up. The sky was overcast and heavy rainclouds, tall thunderheads, loomed above the village, promising a nice big storm. He growled and turned, darting down the street in the direction of the Academy. He wasn't too keen on being there in the first place; rain was just the thing to make his already dismal day darker.

He reached the school just as it began to really rain. Muttering under his breath about the damn weather, he trudged down the hall and into his class a few moments after it began. The Chuunin teacher glanced at him, surprised. "Sasuke. You're late."

"Hn." He payed the man no mind and walked to his normal seat in the back. He felt the eyes of all the students on him, and an annoying pair of girls sighed longingly as he pushed some damp hair off his face. Sasuke supressed the urge to roll his eyes--it got harder every day--and drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently. The Chuunin continued taking roll and when he got to the last name, he stopped. The students stopped chattering amongst themselves for the most part and glanced up at their suddenly silent instructor.

"Sensei?" one redheaded girl asked, blinking. "Are you done with role call, or is something the matter?"

The man looked up with a grin that wasn't nearly as benevolent to Sasuke as it was to the rest of the class; it would've been--had not the man skipped Naruto's name on purpose. "Sorry, I lost myself for a moment. Let's begin."

Sasuke was the only one who noticed Naruto's name had not been called. More so, he was the only one who really cared enough to listen to the name that came directly after his. He frowned at his teacher, crossing his arms. Even though he knew very well where the vessel was, none of his peers did; "Where's Naruto?" he asked loudly.

---

He sat in the corner of the room in the fetal position, legs drawn to his chest, face buried in his knees, arms crossed tightly over his head. _Just a storm...just a storm...just a storm... _Heijiko crawled into his lap, licking his face with a concerned, _"Naruto-kion?"_

_Just a storm..._

The other kits were gathered around him as well, Keijo and Neiko on his shoulders, licking his chin and cheekbones and neck franticly, and Iko pawed at his leg, whimpering.

_"Naru-kion," _Iko whispered, _"are you okay?"_

Only the twins and Heijiko understood; when the lightning flashed quickly outside Naruto gasped drawing himself back against the wall. He trembled hard, curled into the fetal position in the corner of the empty room. After a few tense seconds he seemed to calm down before the _BOOM _of thunder sounded.

He was on his feet and running before his foxes could try to dissuade him from moving.

---

The class stared at him, surprised. His most passionate fangirls, a blonde and a pink-haired, were blinking at each other and then at him in unison. The sensei was caught off-guard, and put the clipboard down carefully. "What are you talking about, Sasuke?" he said lightly, smiling.

"I'm talking about Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke was lording his knowledge over him, even though the man didn't know it; and the former enjoyed every second of it, despite his mounting indignance for Naruto.

The man frowned, but was saved from answering by an immensely loud roll of thunder. The lights flickered, and the class cried out; after a second, Sasuke lurched from his seat and over to the window, staring in horror as it began to storm. What looked like a downward river fell from the skies, opening up like a curtain over Konoha; Sasuke couldn't see more than two feet from the window. He gave a frustrated groan and tore towards the door, intercepted by his teacher. "Sit back down, Uchiha Sasuke," the man said severely. "You aren't going anywhere; you wouldn't anyway, but _especially _not in this weather!"

"Get out of the way!" he snarled viciously trying to rip the man's arm out of his way, and nearly succeeding. "Get out of the fucking way!"

The class drew in their breath; he'd just cursed at sensei. As her friend turned to whisper with several other girls, the pink-haired innocent watched Sasuke argue ferociously with concern in her round eyes.

"Sasuke! What's gotten into you?! These past few days you've been--" The man stopped talking, but didn't cease his struggles with the boy, who fought to get away with surprising strength.

_Been what? Human? Showing emotion for the first time since you walked through that door at the beginning of the term? _Although the words were not spoken aloud, those were what the entire room seemed to be thinking.

Lightning lit up the sky and the thunder followed quickly; the girls screamed again and the boys yelped involuntarily. Sasuke glanced wide-eyed at the window; he couldn't explain his sudden fear--why should he be worried? Naruto was safe at the estate, nothing could be wrong, nothing could be...

The door slid open and a pony-tailed Chuunin walked in, smiling reassuringly at the frightened students who calmed at once upon seeing him and streamed towards the door to crowd him; but then stopped, leaving space for their sensei, Sasuke and the new arrival to deal with whatever was happening between the first two.

"Yuiku...What are you doing?"

Lightning; thunder; screams; silence.

"Sasuke was trying to run off into the storm!" Yuiku shouted over the noise defensively. "I couldn't let him go out there!"

The gentle Chuunin frowned and blinked at the struggling raven-haired boy in front of him. He knelt to be on the boy's level, looking at him eye-to-eye like they were the same, like Sasuke deserved the same amount of respect that Yuiku did. He put his hands on Sasuke's shoulder--Sasuke snarled softly, trying to pull away discreetly, but the man's grip held firm and Yuiku backed off.

"Sasuke, what do you want to go out there for?" he'd asked; not incredulously or skeptically, just with a lot of confusion.

Sasuke seemed to struggle with something, then settled for, "He could be in trouble."

"Who?"

He'd told the class; why not tell his random man? "Naruto!" he shouted, altogether too impatient. And he wrenched himself away and out the class before anyone could stop him--but he couldn't help but think that the Chuunin's grip had voluntarily loosened on his shoulders the second he'd shouted his roommate's name.

---

_Just a storm..._

He kept running; he couldn't see where he was going at all through the rain.

_Just a storm..._

It felt like he was trying to swim standing up; he kept falling, and each time it got harder and harder to get up.

_Only a storm..._

The thunder boomed again, and Naruto shook with the volume of it's roar rumbling seemingly beneath his feet. He fell again, to his knees, and tried to convince himself to stand. He berated himself mercilessly, cursing at himself with no less loathing than the villagers.

_Why did I run outside?_

_Why did I run outside?_

_Why the hell did I run outside?_

It was instinct: scared, run. That was all there was to it, and to think of anything else in that time was foolish--they could _catch _him if he stopped to think. He'd long since stopped discerning the differences between concrete dangers and emotionally distressing ones.

Now, his mind was creating enemies, predators; they were chasing him, they were the lightning, the thunder, they were after him, they wanted him gone just like everyone else, he had to run and keep running until they could never find him, he just had to keep running...

_**Kit, **_the Kyuubi reached through the bars of the cage towards the trembling boy with one magnificent tail. _**Kit, don't be such a baka. **_No, the boy was too far gone; he wouldn't listen to reason, would blindly stumble along until something cut his legs out from under him, literally or metaphorically one. So he drew the boy's mind-self into his cage--the boy was small enough to slip easily through the bars--and lay him gently down on the inside. He marveled that he could easily kill him then and there...it would be so easy. His neck, pulsing with life only inches from one of the Kyuubi's murderous claws; his chest, rising and falling unsteadily as he lay directly in front of the strongest Bijuu; his face, graced with a look of absolute terror, and the muted whimpers that he'd long since taught himself not to be let heard rising from the back of his throat.

With a sigh, the great Nine-Tails lay beside the boy and curled around him; it would simply not do for his vessel to catch cold--it was for that reason and that reason only, for he did not cuddle nor take affection to _anyone, _that he warmed the boy.

But this left him to his own devices physically; he managed to crawl into a crevice in an alley--he didn't know it was a crevice in an alley, just that it was a small enclosed space where he could tuck himself away and not be found. And it was with this last comforting thought that he passed out.

---

He was amazed at how strong the winds were; it was near impossible to open the Academy doors, and harder still to step outside them. He somehow managed to battle his way all the way to the Uchiha compound, swearing with every other step; _"Shit...shit...shit..."_

Throwing open the door, he fell into his foyer, gasping and panting, wiping rain off his face. Immediately, he was greeted by four foxes, all of them whimpering madly and barking. It didn't take him long to realize Naruto wasn't there. "Shit!" he yelled, aloud this time. Thunder clapped and he threw his hands over his ears. "You all stay here," he ordered the little animals, as though they understood; and they did, backing up and allowing him to stumble around for an umbrella--little good it'd do him--and raced back out into the storm.

**I was actually reading a story when it hit me; the villagers who hate and despise Naruto-kun probably don't understand at all why Iruka spent so much time with him...**

**Note: 'Naruto' also means 'maelstrom', which is a very large and violent whirlpool; and 'Uzumaki' means 'spirals'. **

**Which is rather fitting, as 'Arashi' means storm; all the more proof that Arashi's his dad...o**.**o Oh, yeah; and in the manga sum'eres (can't remember what chapter), after Itachi attacked Kakashi in Konoha with the Mangekyou (sp), Jiraiya called Naruto the "legacy of the Fourth Hokage". That could mean both the seal and his lineage...**_**And, **_**as they were traveling together, Jiraiya told Naruto that the reason he 'chose' Naruto to travel with him was because he reminded him so much of his old student, the Fourth.**

**"The Fourth Hokage was once my student; it's amazing how much you remind me of him. Maybe that's why..." --NOT A DIRECT QUOTE, from memory alone, so it's probably not accurate. o**.**o**

**But I'm probably just fishing. -sigh- Ahh, well.**

**(For those of you that might not know, Arashi is the name of the Fourth Hokage; I thought I'd mention that, as some schmuck didn't realize who I meant when I said Arashi in passing. -blinks- It was weird.)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Ah! Finally, an update! -ish happeh- I think I did pretty good on this...I hope you like it! n-n And hey, if you didn't, that's nothing I need to hear! I'm in an exceptionally good mood right now...so try not to ruin it by flaming?**

**First part set in Sasuke's POV.**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Four_

_I never knew what the pain of being alone felt like until the day it happened: I was suddenly thrust into the world as he knows it--cruel, unforgiving, merciless and cold--the night my family was murdered. He knew already what true agony was, what it was like to really stand on the edge--to stare death in the face and contemplate whether or not living was any easier. I would never understand him; I remember watching him when I was younger, aspiring to be just like him. I remeber the awe I felt, staring at him and his jovial unaware, his seemingly ignorant facade. He was always so cheerful, so helpful; it was the villagers who were the problem--any assistence he offered was turned down, harshly, cruely, by the village of fools. _

_I remember wanting to go to him, for nothing more than to comfort him; and then seeing that there would be no need--because he would only smile._

_He would smile at them, nothing at all threatening or offensive in the gesture. The smile would light up his eyes, making them a thousand shades softer, and he would say quietly, "I forgive you."_

_That was it; "I forgive you"._

_They had never once asked his forgiveness for anything; and yet there he was, willingly giving the undeserving people his forgiveness anyway. He would never say those three words loud enough for anyone to hear, but I was an expert at reading lips; that's why it so stunned me. He wasn't trying for pity or sympathy, it was no charade--it was clear, honest._

_He held his head high, kept his voice strong._

_Was I the only one who could see the tears in his eyes? Was everyone else so oblivious--could they really not see them? They were there, plain as day..._

_'He has to cry alone,' I would think as I watched him walk home from lunch. The owners of the ramen stall had gained my undying respect; they treated Naruto as a valuable customer, sincerely welcomed him into their business every day. I loved the way his face would brighten each time they would tell him "Welcome"; it was so rare a sight, to see him smile like that, that I relished it each time I saw._

_Looking back on it now, I realize I was probably close to stalking the kid...but no matter. I'm sure he saw me; he was one of those people, young as he was, that just didn't miss things--one that nothing much got past, one that nothing was lost on. But he never confronted me, never told me to stop trailing him. We never spoke a word; I didn't even know his name. Nor did I know that he would watch me, too, when my back was turned; we just kept missing each other._

_I didn't know his name; or why the village hated him so much. He could very well have been a villain of some kind, and I still would have adored him. He was...different from everyone else. _

_He was always there--he was my constant, my inspiration._

---

He fought his way through the rain, against the wind. He'd long since discarded the umbrella--it had done him no good, as he was soaking wet, and had only innovated cursings Sasuke directed at himself for bringing the troublesome thing along in the first place--and took to a much more effective and highly appreciated style of searching in which one basically stumbled around helplessly and screamed a name over and over again until you couldn't anymore, and then finally fell to your knees, punching the ground hard with everything left of you had to give.

This way isn't usually recommended, but sometimes does pull a little weight around.

He didn't know how long he sat there, shaking, cursing, in the middle of a raging storm, flinching each time lightning tore a new rip in the sky--but it was during a particularly long stretch of somewhat-silence (for the weather was tricky; on and off for the last few hours it had been raining lightly with hardly any thunder, only to pound down upon the earth once more when everyone was unsuspecting) that he heard it; a quiet whimper.

He froze.

When freezing didn't do the trick, he let his hands to the cold pavement and crawled slowly into the alley he had collapsed outside. The roof from the building making up one wall overhung slightly, giving Sasuke a place to stand out of the worst of the rain. And apparently someone else had had the same idea. He heard a scuffling noise when lightning flashed across the sky, and looked down, expecting a rat or maybe a raccoon.

What he saw was his roommate tucked into a niche in the wall, skin turning blue with cold, eyes glazed over with fever, shivering and tucking his arms tighter around himself as though they would sheild him from the outside world.

It took Sasuke's mind a moment to process the new data; when it did, it took a few more moments for Sasuke to register what exactly this information was telling him. And when that finally happened, he pretty much just fell, willingly this time, shuffling forward and yanking Naruto unceremoniously out of the wall and into his arms. Sasuke's ninja training had taken hold--in the minutes it had taken to process and register--and he knew that the most important thing at the moment was getting Naruto warm and dry.

Brilliance, yes.

"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke hissed quietly, rubbing at the boy's numb arms, trying to warm him. "Dobe, baka! You're such a loser, leaving the house like that. I can't believe you would run out into the storm--why would you do that?! It's safer there, and drier. Whatever you had to do, couldn't it have--"

Sasuke's rant was cut off by an especially loud roll of thunder; he might have continued his rhetorical questioning, had Naruto's next action not immediately answered it. The blonde gave a little gasp, the first sign of life Sasuke had seen of him, and brought his arms up over his head, curling into a fetal position.

_He's...afraid._

The next thing Sasuke's sharp wit drew from it's fast and calculative observation was the saltwater mixing with the rainwater on Naruto's face--_How long has he been crying?_

"Sorry, Naruto..." _Sorry for what...? _He didn't exactly know why he was apologizing; for not being there? For letting the Kyuubi no gaki suffer through this personally traumatic experience alone? For all but abandoning him right before it happened to go to _school, _and, while there, publicly drawing attention to his name and hinting that he knew something about him that the rest of the class didn't? (Read: Naruto didn't want to stay with Sasuke for fear of what the village might do to him or his host; second chapter, peoples.)

_...Those are all pretty good reasons._

"Let's...let's get back home now, alright?" _Way to go, Sasuke--make the executive decision. Pretty slow tonight, aren't we?_

But this, of course, brought on another problem; how the hell was he supposed to get himself and Naruto back to the Uchiha compound with the winds constantly shifting and the rain droning down and the thunder freaking both of them (Sasuke's anxiety promotes paranoia) out?

This moment of epiphany, however, was answered by God with a gift from Heaven; an angel appeared to them, beckoning them into a sea of light, of warmth...

"You?!"

How Sasuke found himself being carried by the world's gentlest Chuunin--did they call him "Iruka"?--he'd never know. He did notice that the brunette man was having no problem whatsoever cutting through the storm, and grumbled to himself about it (in his mind). Iruka smiled at him, a little bemused but for the most part upset. "I guess I should have let you know," he said ruefully, blitzing down the street, "that Naruto's afraid of thunderstorms; he loves rain, but storms scare the hell out of him. I would've told you, had I known Naruto was staying with you..."

All at once, Iruka's willingness--earlier that day--to let Sasuke go when the latter demanded as much all made sense; he cared. He cared about Naruto deeply, and had been out in this storm for as long as Sasuke had. Not to mention he'd had to worry constantly about the blond from the first raindrop...

"Wait, how could he like rain and hate storms?" Sasuke shouted over the roar of the weather.

"He doesn't like loud noises. They...remind him..."

When the Chuunin stopped, Sasuke might have kept pushing, had not Naruto chosen to sneeze then mumble weakly at that moment. _Saved by the kid, dude, _Sasuke thought, eyeing Iruka sidelong as the man redirected full attention on the vessel. _Saved by the kid._

---

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Keep him in bed, keep him warm; when he wakes up get him to drink hot tea or...hot chocolate's his favorite. Ramen's his favorite food, so get plenty of it; he might not realize it'll be good for him, but the hot broth will do him good. Keep beside him--he's ancy when he's alone, and will probably get bored and try to move around. Also..."

Sasuke was half-listening with some fascination; the man was rattling off several things Sasuke would never have guessed about his charge, favorites, dislikes...Sasuke watched him carefully for any harmful intent, and was susprised at what he found in its stead; Umino Iruka was gently stripping the blonde's outer layer off, throwing them into a heap by the door (Sasuke didn't care, for he did the same thing, but any housekeepers would have--bad for hardwood floors, it is), and wrapped him carefully in a warm, woolen blanket, curtesy of Sasuke, laying him against his pillows gently, tenderly rubbing damp locks out of the Kyuubi no gaki's fevered brow. Naruto, for his part, did not let go of the man's shirt. When he finally sank into an unwilling sleep, the man carefully disentangled his fingers and lay his hand on the blanket.

What was more, the foxes seemed to know/trust this man, all but Iko, who joined the gang too late to have met him prior. Heijiko and the twins mewed softly at him, pawing at his jacket with soft paws. He stroked them delicately, murmuring to them, and Sasuke simply watched.

"Well, I'd better go before he wakes up," Iruka said regretfully, standing deliberately, eyes trained on the slumbering youth.

Sasuke frowned. "What?"

Iruka smiled ruefully, already headed for the door. "He thinks I'm better off away from him, you know? I'm sure he's said the same to you."

_He has..._Apparently his thoughts showed in his eyes, because the Chuunin smiled again, a bittersweet smile that kind of made Sasuke's anger melt away (('_Damn it! What kind of a man smiles _sweetly?! _Dirty bastard!')) _

"I don't want him getting too upset right now. Rest is important." With a nod, and a last lingering gaze--full of a painfully large ammount of concern--at Naruto, the brunette was gone.

---

It was some kind of instinct, Sasuke supposed. Like a dog's, or a cat's; for as soon as the storm let up--really, this time, no tricks--and a steady drizzle was falling, Naruto's eyes slid open. He blinked; glanced around; tried to sit up.

"Lay the hell back down or I kill you."

He laid back down.

"U...Uchiha-san?" A bewildered frown. "Is school over already? What time is it?"

It was lucky for him he couldn't see the heir twitch, for it might have made him a little anxious, something that Iruka had warned against. "I have no clue, dobe! I was out all night looking for you!"

There was a long silence; and then apparently it all came back to him, because he suddenly drew up the blanket and burrowed underneath it, hiding all of himself but his fingers. Sasuke blinked.

"Naruto?" No answer. "Oi, dobe, knock it off." He reached for the blanket, and was met with a curiously silent Iko, warning his hand away. Muttering about unfair teamwork, Sasuke did as he was bid--no, his ego was not wounded at taking orders from a fox kit...much--and sat on the bed instead. "Baka...what's hiding under there gonna do?" More silence. "At least _say _something! Usuratonkachi..." Rolling his eyes up to the ceiling he lay back--unrepentently over Naruto's feet--and let flow the quiet; until, "You know...I used to do that a lot, too. Hiding under the covers, I mean.

"It was hard, going through life everyday...because I saw how meaningless my loss was. The world still thrived, people still laughed; they showed me pity, but no empathy and...forgot." A scornful laugh escaped the raven-haired's lips before he could stop it. "No, they didn't forget about _me. _All the adults saw me as a child prodigy, an asset they could shape, mold into whatever they desired. It was..." He cut himself off, unsure of whom he was talking to, unsure if he was actually speaking at all. "They didn't care about...about _me. _I'm sure a few of them did...

"But it got so much easier for me, when I just let them. I let them say whatever, do whatever. I train as little as possible, because I don't _need_ to, don't _want _to, and watch them talk about my progress like it's their doing. I let everyone faun over me, even though I don't deserve it."

_I cry when no one's looking._

"It...doesn't make any sense to me...but, I'm not brave enough I guess. I can't exist out there without help." His eyes were on the windowsill directly above him, as though he could see the words he spoke written there and burn them with his very gaze. "I...I want to avenge my family...but I _can't. _There's no way I can...I can fight..." His eyes stung suddenly, and he sat up quickly, turning around, appalled at himself. _Tears?! Now?! I'm such an IDIOT!_

"...It must be hard."

He froze; turned slowly around. Naruto was sitting up, staring at him with that unwavering gaze, blue eyes soulfull and deep...and understanding. Sasuke said nothing, recalling his voice from seconds ago back to memory and searching it hastily for any callousness, sarcasm. But no...he meant it. Naruto, with concern blazing in his liquid gaze, regret and anxiety playing themselves across his fox-like features; he was still pale, and a little shaky, but didn't really seem to notice. He'd had worse pain than that and they both knew it; but neither seemed to acknowledge said fact at the moment.

"I'm...sorry...I...might've been able to do more for you," the blond vessel said carefully, eyes trained on Sasuke's, prepared to evade any coming blows. "...I mean...you must've been...terribly alone after...losing your family like that..."

Sasuke stared; _How much does it hurt him to say that? _

"I mean...I don't know you're pain..." His hands fisted over the quilt. "But I do know some variation of it...And I guess...looking back on all those happy memories...and knowing you can't make more...must be awful."

_As awful as never having any of those memories to fall back on when times get hard?_

"Umm...Uchiha-san...?" Naruto stared at him, waved a hand tentatively--at a fair distance--in his face. Obviously thinking he'd said too much, he slipped out of bed, clad only in pajama shorts and a blanket around his shoulders, the foxes prancing after him. "I'll go get some hot chocolate for you."

Sasuke watched him head for the door for a moment before coming to his senses. "N...No, get back in bed," he said managed to choke out, throat closed up for some reason. "I'll get it."

..._I'm such an idiot._

---

_**Feeling any better, kit?**_

Naruto, pleasantly surprised at the fox's inquiry, smiled. _Yeah, Fox. Sorry for..._

_**At least you afforded me some amusement, **_the great Bijuu sniffed, stalking away now that he was sure his charge was, for the most part, alright. _**So interesting, your fear.**_

Naruto rolled his eyes but said nothing, choosing instead to play with the four little foxes in his lap. When the door opened again, he forced his smile to remain in place, petting his furry friends steadily. Suddenly a steaming mug was thrust into his face and he jumped slightly, smothering a yelp. He blinked at the drink, then took it slowly, carefully. "A-Arigato," he said quietly, taking a polite sip. His eyes widened and a wide smile formed on his face; he lifted the cup again to hide it--

"What's funny?"

Naruto winced, smile fading slowly--very slowly--and muttered, "This is really, really good. It reminds me of how Iru...someone I knew once used to make it." He tipped his head a bit to the side, shutting his eyes and licking his bottom lip, as though the chocolate he tasted was more than that, was a fond memory of sitting at a kitchen table in a comfortable, warm room, the rays of the setting sun filling the room with orange light, of drinking from a too-big mug and laughing with a tall, gentle-faced brunette man who was steadying the giant cup, making sure it didn't spill...

Sasuke watched him smile softly, that broken-hearted little grin he used to wear so often; the Uchiha frowned--he didn't like _that _smile. Setting his own cup down on the floor, he sat on the bed again, Naruto moving his feet out of the way. "Y'know, when I found you, you were kind of out of it."

Silence. Sasuke felt a grin coming on and squashed it--the last thing he wanted was for Naruto to think he was laughing at him.

"Since you couldn't stand there was no way I would have been able to get us both back here."

Naruto blinked, cocking his head again; at the same time, the little foxes cocked their's as well (it was all very adorable; Sasuke paused before continuing).

"But then this guy showed up...Tall, brown-haired, too nice to be a real ninja, named after a fish." Sasuke threw in a skeptical eye-roll for Naruto's benefit.

"You...You mean Iruka-sensei?!" Forgotten was the hot chocolate; wide blue eyes boring down on him from the other end of the bed, the heir went on hastily.

"Yeah, I think that was his name. Anyway, he got there and carried us both back here." Sasuke couldn't stop his smile now. "He...got you dry and in bed...And..." Sasuke had to shut his eyes and do the head-tip thing as well as smile; it was just one of those moments. "And you wouldn't let go of him for awhile. He told me all about how to make your hot chocolate...and, crap the ramen!" Sasuke stood to go, but Naruto lunged out, hand flashing quickly; before the Uchiha--who had years of pre-ninja training at the Academy--could register he'd moved at all, the boy was gripping the raven-haired's shirt tightly, desperately.

"He was here?"

Sasuke blinked. "Yeah..."

"Did...Was he worried?"

Seeing where this was going, Sasuke nodded. "Extremely."

Naruto's grip loosened and he looked guilty and regretful. "I...didn't want him to worry..." Then his voice was burning with good intention as he finished, rather loudly, "I didn't want him to get hurt! He spent too much time with me, and the villagers..." A pause. "If he...If anyone got hurt because they stood by my side..." Naruto's hand fell from Sasuke's shirt and he glanced out the window at the still-wet world.

"Then I'm much better off alone."

Glass shattered; Naruto flinched wildly, spinning around and backing up against the wall at the same time. Hot chocolate coated the floor and Sasuke, ignorant of the shards of china under his feet, stomped back up to the bed and gripped the collar of Naruto's shirt, twisting it into his fisted hand and bringing Naruto closer in a very threatening gesture. The foxes growled warningly, Heijiko's turning into a snarl, but the heir ignored them. "Don't ever say that again," the Uchiha snarled, black eyes flashing. "Ever. No one's better off alone, got it?! Especially not you!"

He could feel Naruto trembling, and all at once it came back to him--Naruto's fear of people, his beginning to put trust in Sasuke, how delicate that balance was...

And then Naruto was crying. It was enough for Sasuke to widen his eyes and step back, releasing him. The blond rubbed at his eyes with shaking fists, the tears falling, his cries soundless, the only noises being his unsteady breathing and the foxes concerned yips. It took a moment for Sasuke to recognize the tears, for he had never shed the like; they weren't happy tears, and they weren't sad tears...

They were the tears one cried when they had something so obvious to everyone else shoved in their face and realized quite abruptly how blind they'd been--the tears one cried when they saw how their blindness was hurting someone very, very dear to them, when they knew they had to correct it at the next possible second, when they knew that to wait any longer would be torment. The tears one cried when they realized that the person who'd opened their eyes cared deeply for them as well, when they realized that for a long time they hadn't been as alone as they'd thought.

Sasuke watched him cry so silently, and sat down beside him again. The foxes lept off the bed and made short work of the hot chocolate on the floor, picking precisely around the broken glass.

"Do you want me to go get him, Naruto? He'll probably be helping out at the Academy."

Naruto nodded, bringing his hands down slightly to fix Sasuke with a watery stare. "P-P...Please, Uch...Sasuke...?"

The obsidian-eyed stared at him before smiling hugely. "It's no problem. No problem at all."

---

When the two returned, Sasuke felt no guilt at having told Iruka that Naruto's condition had worsened; in fact he was a little pleased at how much quicker and less reluctant it made Iruka. He quickly filed the knowledge away in his database of useful information, and watched the scene unfold:

Iruka took one, two, three steps into the room; there was silence. Then Naruto was tackling him, throwing his arms around him, crying loudly--really sobbing, for this man was the father he never had--and clenching the back of his vest in tight, trembling fists.

Sasuke watched the Chuunin's already gentle expression soften more than the former thought possible; the man petted Naruto's hair, smiling. No words were said, but in that moment all was right between the three.

**Ahhh. Didn't make much sense, and it was also rather rushed...but I was in a hurry to get this done, as I re-FUSE to stay up much later than ten-thirty and it's already ten-twenty-five. Gimme a few seconds and it'll be ten-twenty-six. There we go.**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry this took forever and a half. **-.-;** But it's up now, so no complaining! **

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Five_

Naruto wasn't exactly willing to let Iruka come to any harm because of him; so Iruka and Sasuke had to explain to him very patiently and calmly that that wouldn't happen, as Iruka was a very elite Chuunin (top of the line, if he did say so himself), and no simple villager would be able to hurt him. This had no immediate affect whatsoever on the small blond, but he accepted it anyway, if only to please his two precious people.

Then came the next line of business: school.

Sasuke blatantly refused to go back since it seperated him from Naruto; he argued that Naruto needed him and that he had to be there for him, lest another ordeal like their previous one happen again. He was adamant and would not be swayed, even when Naruto pleaded desperately with him that he _please _go back to school, that he didn't want to cause Sasuke any more trouble; and here Sasuke had punched him lightly on the head, chiding him for being a moron. Iruka protested that Sasuke needed to go to school if he ever wanted to graduate; Iruka said he, too, wanted to make sure Naruto would be alright on his own, so he would maybe leave the Academy every hour or so to check up on him every day...

"...I don't want you guys to trouble yourselves," Naruto muttered smally.

"I _told _you, it'd be more troublesome _not _checking up on you!" Sasuke snapped, losing patience fast; his sharp tone made the slumbering foxes shift sleepily on the pillow. Naruto stroked them absently, putting them at once at ease. "Can't you understand that we _want _to be there for you, Naruto?!"

He found himself under the unwavering gaze of two very, very bright blue eyes; they were warm, shimmering with an emotion that Sasuke couldn't exactly discern, brushed with fear and uncertainty but burning with gratitude.

_He can't; he really can't. He's never had that before_.

To have someone care for you, even a little bit; for that person to accept you, welcome you, comfort you, protect you...A majority of the people of Konoha had that; even orphans grew up knowing love. The only people who didn't, really, were the jobless adults littering the streets of Leaf (and that's their own fault), but surely, they, too, knew affection at one point in time. Naruto, however, never had any of that; he was arguably the most innocent child in the village hidden in the leaves, but no one saw him as anything more as a demon. He never had the affection...

Iruka smiled at Sasuke, dragging him up out of morbid thoughts; the man still had an arm around Naruto's shoulders as though he couldn't bear to let go. _He'd_ known. All along, he'd seen the boy in the beast, the child mistaken so easily for the monster.

"I don't want either of you to cut time out of your day to come make sure I'm alright," Naruto said suddenly, cocking his head to one side with that "smile-to-cover-up-pain" look on his face. His voice was soft as he continued, "You've both given up a lot, just being around me...did you know? Iruka-sensei--your reputation is trashed with a lot of villagers...and Uchi...Sasuke...kun..." He didn't glance up to gauge Sasuke's reaction, instead rushing on, "you're giving up friendship with future comrades, who you might have to depend on someda--"

"Would you rather us leave you alone?!" Sasuke snarled suddenly, eyes livid. "What's _with _you?! _WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THOSE PREJUDICED BASTARDS." _He shoved himself off the chair, pacing furiously about the room. "I don't care what they decide to think--that's _their problem. _I've got enough problems of my own; like making sure _you _don't do something stupid and self-sacrificing or personally traumatic again!" He spun to face Naruto, jabbing a finger in his chest accusingly. "You've had a really rough time, I know--I haven't forgotten anything--so why don't you rely on me?! Do you not trust me yet?! I--"

"Sasuke--" Iruka's tone was dangerous, the Chuunin's eyes flashing darkly; Sasuke faltered, deterred at such a murderous look in the usually gentle man's eyes. He stole a glance at Naruto, who was staring at him.

..._Shit. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.._

"Rely...?" Naruto's eyes were too blue. "Trust...O-Of course, Sas--Ah! Uchiha-san..."

_And we've just broken him of the stuttering too. Dammit. _Nevertheless, Sasuke felt a thrill go through him at "Sasuke-kun". He felt a smile curl across his face before he could help it; he turned his face away, smiling at the wall behind him rather than at Naruto. The room was silent for a few long moments; Sasuke heard the bed groan softly as the weight on it shifted, and half-expected Iruka to deliver a solid punch to his face. Instead he heard Naruto's voice, closer than it had been before, speaking clearly and without falter:

"You and Iruka-sensei aren't going to be missing out on anything because of me if I can help it."

Slightly surprised, Sasuke turned his head slightly, just enough to meet the other's gaze; his eyes were matched by smiling blue ones.

"So, I guess I'll have to come with you...To school, that is." His smile trembled just barely at his pronouncement, but he didn't let anything show in his expression or his deceptionally bright eyes. This, of course, was the easiest solution: but Sasuke and Iruka stole a quick glance at one another, both equally displeased. Sasuke clenched a fist, watching Naruto return rather quickly to his foxes.

_If any harm comes to Naruto while he's there...it's going to severely piss me off._

---

"Are you sure, Naruto?" Sasuke asked him for what Naruto thought had to be the twenty-third time.

_How many was that, Fox?_

_**I counted thirty-two.**_

_Damn, I messed up somewhere. _"Yes, Uchiha-san," he said patiently, smiling calmly at him. "I wouldn't be coming if I wasn't."

The great Bijuu snorted, amused. _**You're such a liar, kit.**_

Naruto rolled his eyes, then caught himself quickly as Sasuke glanced at him. "But, you told me before you hated--"

"That doesn't mean I'm afraid to _go,_" Naruto lied efficiently, looking exasperated. "What kid _doesn't _hate school?" Sasuke fell silent again, frowning as he submerged deep in thought, and the rest of the walk to the Academy was silent.

---

The door slid open, and Yuiko-sensei looked up from roll call. The class stopped whispering amongst themselves, and gasped in delight as Umino Iruka walked in, calling his name happily. He spared them a distracted smile, gentle eyes troubled, and then turned to Yuiko, completely buisness. He said something to him quietly, and the second man scowled; but Iruka seemed to be persistent, and getting royally pissed off, so Yuiko nodded in the end. Iruka, still frowning, turned slightly and beckoned at the door: it slid open farther and Uchiha Sasuke entered, glancing behind him with an expression verging upon concern; his fangirls swooned. But the class soon found their cheer turning into incredulousness, and their smiles into scowls and narrowed eyes as a small blond boy followed Sasuke into the room; they glared at the blond without really knowing why--they'd been taught to hate him, never once did they question that.

Iruka knelt down in front of the orange-clad boy to be on eye-level with him and said quietly, "How do you feel?"

Naruto smiled, replying in just as soft a tone, "Just fine, Iruka-sensei. You better hurry up and get to _your _class, though; if you're late your students'll get angry."

The Chuunin watched him carefully for a moment before nodding. "Right." He drew Sasuke over so that he might speak to them both. "_Stay together. _If you have any problems at all _tell me, _got it?...You'll soon see why Naruto wanted nothing to do with you, Sasuke." He added in a mutter, and then hurried on before Sasuke could comment. "I've got to go now; I'll be back to check on you both at lunch. Behave."

"Yessir," Naruto said automatically.

"Sure," Sasuke drawled a few seconds later when it was convenient for him.

Iruka stood, dropping his hands on their heads to ruffle their hair affectionately; then he swept out the door, let it rattle to a close behind him, and was gone. Sasuke immediately turned his infamous Uchiha scowl upon Yuiko. "Add Naruto to the roster," he said, voice dangerously soft. His dark eyes flashed, daring the older male to object.

He picked up a pencil, scrawling Naruto's name under Sasuke's begrudgingly. "Go sit down, you two."

They walked up the slight incline and then the steps, Naruto leading the way to the back of the room, past the rows of desks. Sasuke missed it, but Naruto cowered back suddenly, make the raven-haired bodily run into him. A boy at the end of the row they were passing withdrew a kunai, smirking. Naruto skirted him, golden tresses hiding his face, and fled to the somewhat safety of the back of the room. Sasuke stared incredulously at the armed boy. "Are you fucking mental?" he hissed, wide-eyed. "What the _hell _was that?" The boy only continued to sneer, until Sasuke decided he wasn't worth his time and made his way to Naruto. Sliding onto the bench next to him, he asked him in a whisper, "Are you alright?"

"Of course," the blond said cheerfully, pinning Sasuke with his endless oceanic eyes. "He didn't nick me."

Sasuke twitched. "I don't think that's the point." _I'm telling Umino-san about that one. No way is that little asshole getting away with almost cutting Naruto._

---

"Uchiha-san?"

"Mm?" Sasuke continued chewing without looking at Naruto; until the latter lightly touched the former's hand. Sasuke swallowed his previous bite and glanced warily at the blond. "What?"

His mistake was looking at him in the first place; maybe if he'd kept his back turned, he wouldn't have fallen victim to those gorgeous blue eyes in their fullest shine, as Naruto whispered, "I don't want you to tell Iruka-sensei...about what happened..."

_That...little...bastard! _Sasuke wanted to claw his own eyes out. _What a dirty trick! _Completely composed on the outside, the heir rolled his eyes. "Like hell I'll let that one go," he muttered, raising his drink to his lips.

"It's worse if you tell," Naruto insisted. "They get mad at you for snitching, and--"

"OI! You two, up there!" Both boys glanced down from their perch in one of the higher branches of the tree in the schoolyard to see most of their classmates gathered at its base. "Get down from there, we wanna word."

_Fuck, _Sasuke thought furiously, setting his o-bento to the side. _We made it till lunch, I thought there'd be no more problems... _"Stay here, Naruto," he said firmly, meeting the blond's gaze with his less vibrant one and holding it. "Understand?"

Naruto's eyes were wide, and his hands were trembling, though his expression gave nothing much away. He nodded once, and Sasuke slipped from the branch holding onto it with one arm, then let himself fall, hitting the ground with a soundless grace any feline would envy. Everyone drew back a bit, all intimidated by the fierce young Uchiha.

"We...We want to know why you're hanging around that guy!" one of the "braver" ones stammered loudly, pointing up at Naruto with what should've been an accusatory glare.

"Because I can. Why are _you _hanging out with _these _guys?" was Sasuke's cool reply. The other boy fumed, a bit humilated, and Sasuke continued confidentally, "Are you people presuming to tell me who I can and cannot associate with? What do you think gives you that right?" His stature, his eloquence of diction was enough to easily cow his peers; until one, that one from before, withdrew a shuriken and hurled it with all his might at Naruto. Sasuke's eyes widened and his hand flew to his stash of kunai (Gods, and the kids aren't supposed to have weapons.), but three kids grabbed his arms stilling his efforts.

Naruto caught the throwing star, plucked it from midair, and hopped branch to branch down the tree until he was only a few feet above everyone else. "Uchiha-san!" he cried, blue eyes alight with worry. Before Sasuke could object, he was on the ground, tearing the brunet from the bullies. "I was making him talk to me!" the blond yelled desperately. "He didn't want to, I threatened him! It's all my fault!"

Sasuke felt himself go numb everywhere. "That's not true!" he yelled, shooting upright from where he'd been dumped on the ground. "That's not--" But the kids were done listening, already pummeling Naruto ferociously; Naruto, it seemed, had withdrawn inside himself, eyes half open and blank, face expressionless.

_"You'll soon see why Naruto wanted nothing to do with you, Sasuke."_

Sasuke's fist tightened at his side; his eyes fell almost of their own accord to where the shuriken Naruto had abandoned lay in the grass. Sasuke had it in his grasp and let it fly, whistling from his fingers and slicing the boy's cheek who held Naruto's arms behind his back. The boy cried out, falling back a few steps and bringing his hand to his face, horrified at the blood there. Sasuke, pulling out more shuriken, advanced on the group, looking beyond reasoning and any other aspects of sanity in general. "Is Naruto making me do this?" he asked them softly, bringing the kunai to his finger and slicing the tip of it so a beed of blood spilt down to his palm. "All of you get away from him _now._"

They did, scrambling back quickly; Sasuke turned his back on them, deeming them useless and not worth his time, and stalked back to where Naruto stood, stunned and bruised and for the most part a little afraid. When Sasuke reached him, he drew back his fist and delivered a solid punch to the whisker-scarred face. Had Heijiko and the others been there, there was not a doubt in Sasuke's mind he'd be attacked; as it was, Naruto stared at him, face still slightly turned to the side from the blow.

"NEXT TIME YOU HAVE TO FUCKING LIE, MAKE SURE IT'S ONE THAT'S GOT SOME TRUTH IN IT!" Sasuke roared at him, eyes ablaze. "And next time one of us is in trouble, we fight it out together, no more of that self-sacrificing crap! Got it?!"

Naruto nodded dumbly without hesitation, probably eager to put Sasuke at ease. Sasuke fumed for a minute longer, before grabbing Naruto's hand and dragging him past the group of staggered children into the Academy building. "We're goin' ta see Iruka, and if you complain, so help me--"

"I-I won't complain, I'm coming!"

**I know that that was depressingly short, but I still need to work on the update for LoS. Guys, I might have to push the deadline back a **_**little **_**bit farther for that one, tomorrow FOR SURE, and if it's not updated by then, feel free to torch my lawn gnome. Well, first I'll have to buy a lawn gnome, but once I do you can torch it. No, nevermind, I won't do that either, those things are creepy.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Beware--this chapter is WAY angsty. Like, I amazed myself out how angsty it turned out to be. Full of angst. Angstful. -shakes head- Mou, gomenasai--I hadn't meant for sad...I wanted to pick it up a little again, get the Genin bastards squared away into their little teams...OH! OH! -just got a new idea- THIS IS BRILLIANT! I AMAZE MYSELF ONCE MORE AT MY RAW, UNHARNESSED SKILL AND PROFICIENCY!**

**Iruka: She's going back and rewriting the chapter now. She got a new idea--actually, it was an old idea that she finally figured out how to tie into the story. Give yourselves a pat on the back, if it wasn't for you she'd not thought of it.**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Six_

Sasuke led the way back home, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Naruto followed behind him, bandaged lightly and walking with his head lowered slightly like a scolded puppy's, watching the Uchiha's back. The late afternoon sunlight was fading, shadows stretching longer and darker over the streets and doorways. Naruto wanted to walk closer to his companion, but knew the brunet was in no good mood.

_**You scared him.**_

_I didn't mean to._

_**That changes nothing.**_

Clenching his fists, Naruto stopped walking. It took a few seconds for Sasuke to realize he was alone, before he glanced over his shoulder, face an angry blank. "What are you doing?" he deadpanned, eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry, Uchiha-san," Naruto muttered weakly, helplessly shifting his gaze from his feet, to the grass at his side, to Sasuke's shadow. "I didn't mean to make you angry, I just didn't want you getting hurt. I didn't want Iruka-sensei to get hurt either, but he doesn't care. I-I don't understand why either of you stick around when all I bring is trouble, but you do, so I can't let anything happen to either of you, because it'd hurt so much, and--" He was rambling, and he couldn't stop. "I don't want to be alone anymore, Uchiha-san, I don't want to be alone anymore...If anything happens to either of you, I'll be on my own again, I _can't, _it'd hurt, and..."

He broke off when Sasuke turned and faced him, glaring. He almost started backing away, like a cornered animal would press itself against the walls surrounding it in face of the hunter, but Kyuubi's presence was strong in his mind and forbade him. And then Sasuke's back was to him once more, and the child prodigy was walking away. Naruto hunkered down, feeling a fool for gushing all that nonsense, feeling helpless as he just stood there, feeling afraid as the night was conceived around him, new shadows blossoming into existence and previous ones darkening.

_Kyuubi-niichan..._

The Bijuu felt a surge of alarm at hearing the pet name and scrutinized his charge quickly. Thank the gods, the boy wasn't crying; it was always hard to handle the tears. But, maybe it would have been better than the empty expression that masked the boy's face, the raw shock that held his eyes. Days ago, he'd been smiling and laughing sincerely, genuinely happy--that was more than Kyuubi could have hoped for. But now...

_**'Damn Uchiha,' **_the demon thought with passion that surprised him. He discarded it, however; he'd long since stopped trying to discern _why _he didn't hate the human who contained him--the human who kept him from the outside world, from his glorious revenge on the village that had sealed him. _**What is it, kit? **_he growled.

_I think I want to go for a walk, _came the silent, unfazed whisper. _I'd like to see if anyone's in my apartment...if there isn't, could I stay there for a little bit? I've got a headache, see, and I don't want to bother Uchiha-san with it...If there is, I could go see Iruka-sensei...I wanted to anyway, to thank him for today--_

_**Shut up, kit, and start walking, **_Kyuubi commanded, settling down behind his cage, seemingly getting ready to sleep. His eyes, however, were bright on the boy, alert and watchful. He didn't specify _where _the boy should walk, allowed him to decided for himself where the Nine-Tails wanted him to go.

He turned and headed the opposite way Sasuke had gone.

_**'I'll be damned if I let that God-damn brat near **_**my **_**God-damn brat,' **_Kyuubi thought, faintly disgusted with himself for thinking it. _**'I doubt Uchiha-dobe even realizes Naruto's not following him. He'll be in for a surprise when he gets home. I'll alert the gaki's rodents...They should welcome Uchiha when he arrives.' **_A sneer curled out across the kitsune's face as he inwardly reached for the minds of the little foxes at the Uchiha compound, and had Naruto been in his right mind, it would have left him greatly disturbed. The foxes responded with vehemence, pelting him with questions about Naruto's well-being, which he answered calmly; and they agreed to "greet" Sasuke when he returned, and Kyuubi broke contact with them after that.

Kyuubi said nothing as the boy deliberately passed the street his apartment complex was on. He continued to stay silent as the vessel made his way into the nicer neighborhoods of Konoha, where most of his peers and teachers lived. Naruto paused there, glancing around, somewhat at a loss, when someone called out, "Naruto?"

He glanced around hopefully; of course, the voice had been different from his beloved sensei's so he couldn't hope to turn around and see Iruka there with a bag of groceries or an armful of textbooks, but the voice _was _benevolent, if not confused, probably as to why the little blond was in this part of Konoha in the first place, so Naruto could safely assume the voice belonged to a friend and not an enemy.

It proved to be a white-haired man lugging a bag over a shoulder, staring at Naruto with some confusion and concern. Naruto felt himself smile and move forward; this was the man who'd spoken to them that day about repeating the exams to become Genin. Naruto had never successfully created a shadow clone--mainly because there was nothing in it for him. Why make a perfect bunshin when the proctors would just find something else at fault with him? He'd tried twice already, honestly gave it his all, and did better than most of the students--but always the results were the same.

This man, though, was kind to him. He understood him and told him so, and had asked Naruto if Naruto would mind being tested by him. Naruto had been thrilled--he'd said of course he wouldn't mind, he'd love it in fact.

The man smiled when Naruto ran to him, and rested his arms around the boy's thin, bony shoulders. Naruto looked up at him and smiled back, glad to be in the presence of someone who truly cared about him.

"Mizuki-sensei!"

---

Iruka set down his bag and kicked off his shoes after closing the door behind him, intent upon a relaxing evening with some of his infamous hot cocoa and a book. Such fantasies were shot to hell after a series of loud poudings on the door. Upon opening the door, he was greeted with a panting brunet, red-faced, wide-eyed and covered in numerous still-fresh scratches, who yelled without preamble, "Is he here?!"

---

_**I don't like this, kit, **_Kyuubi intoned in a murmur, helping his gaki enter the building undetected. _**It seems too convenient for there be a scroll to help you pass the exam. Why would someone make such a thing and then store it in this place? **_He was appealing to the boy's better judgement while keeping the question simple so the child could understand. Naruto scrunched up his face but kept moving forward.

_Maybe it's just for the people who can get it without getting caught, _he reasoned, and the Kyuubi fell silent; normally when the kit argued, there'd be no point in trying to get a word in. Naruto ducked around a corner lithely, sandals making no sound on the polished surface of the floor. _Maybe...Maybe if I can get the scroll, learn one of the jutsu and then pass the exams...Maybe then, they'll be proud of me, and they'll want to keep me around...And they won't get angry with me._

Not for the first time, Kyuubi cursed the Uchiha prodigy. _**I'm sure they'll be upset that you snuck around and stole something that didn't belong to you, **_the Bijuu said off-handedly. Naruto stiffened, but didn't volunteer to go back. So Kyuubi sighed and said, _**Take a right up here.**_

---

Sasuke's eyes widened when Mizuki told them in rough, hoarse gasps what Naruto had done. Undescribeable emotions rushed through him; as well as fear, betrayal, denial...No _way _would Naruto do something like that--that thought, that one reassurance was the only thing keeping him from doing something equally rash right then and there. Instead, he studied Mizuki-sensei; everything--his voice, his eyes, his posture. Something in his face was giving off negative waves. It made Sasuke's skin crawl just meeting his eyes; that was why, when Iruka began to follow Mizuki out of the house, Sasuke grabbed his sleeve.

"Sasuke, I have to--"

"He's lying." The little boy's eyes allowed for no argument. They were firm, a little frightened, and concerned, but honest and sure. "He's lying. Naruto might have stolen the scroll, but he wouldn't have done it without some kind of motive. And how did Mizuki--"

"Know about it so fast..." Iruka finished. He was frowning. "It's true, Naruto's showed no lawless streak before this--what would make him up and decide to steal such an important scroll?"

Sasuke tensed. Iruka noticed him stiffen and faced him. "What?" It may have been worded as one, but there was no question in his voice. Sasuke felt himself sink lower where he stood, lowering his head a quarter of an inch like a scolded puppy. It was the first time in his life since his family had died that he'd shown submission to anyone; and for some reason, he thought nothing of it.

"I scared him," Sasuke muttered. "I was angry."

Iruka startled him by laughing--a quiet, rather dry laugh, but a laugh nonetheless--and ruffled his raven-feather hair. "I'm that's not the only thing motivating Naruto, okay? Give the kid some credit," were his light words, but Sasuke could see the concern in his eyes; more for the boy than for the scroll (the scroll could quite literally burn in hell for all the Chuunin cared, considering the circumstances) and it made him want to smile.

_Naruto...for one who didn't miss much, how could you not have seen such a great friend Iruka-sensei was--is--to you?_

**Stopping there--I'M SORRY! Don't lynch me! I just thought you'd want to something from me more than ZADR fics! Gah! Gomenasai, forgive me if it's too short for you're liking...!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Finally, an update; I know it's been eight-five years, and I apologize...-sigh- **_**Broken Glass **_**is about done, too, one more chapter and an epilogue to go. I'm not sure how long this one's gonna be, though...-grins- I recently started playing KH2, and I'm pretty obssessed. I mean, I've watched the cutscenes, played some of the first one (before my friend completely took over) and I know the characters, but now that I've started playing the game it's like, adicting. SORA IS **_**MIIIIINEEE...**_**I kept freaking out, "OMG! That was Sora!!1 Did you hear him?! KYAAAHHH!!...-ahem-"**

**Anywho, here ye be; new chapter.**

**I'd like to point out that Mizuki and Iruka were close friends; friends since they Genin.**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Seven_

_**Perhaps you should call it a night, **_Kyuubi said without expecting much compliance.

"But I know I'll get it right soon," Naruto replied, putting bruised fingers together in an already-familiar handseal. "Just a few more minutes, please?"

_**...What if someone finds you? You know they're out looking for you; we could hear them as soon as they started searching, the clumsy fools.**_

"If someone finds me, I'll have to give them the scroll, right?" the blonde replied, pausing to inhale, then exhale deeply. "So just let me train for as long as I can. Mizuki-sensei said he would keep a look-out."

_**'There's something foul about that man,' **_the Bijuu thought but didn't say. He sighed, settling down and wrapping his tails lazily about him. _**Don't expect me to sit quietly if men start to manhandle my vessel. **_

That made Naruto pause. His expression was frozen in place, until it finally eased out into a smile. "Yeah...But don't hurt them," Naruto warned him, "they're only doing their job." Once again, his concern for people who cared nothing about him amazed (and disgusted) the demon. He growled softly, the sound deep in the back of his throat, but Naruto was unshaken. He only turned to glance at the scroll lying open on the ground once more, before rolling it up. "I think I'll have it now," he confided in the kitsune, raising his hands again into the seal.

Sudden rustling in the branches of a tree limb hanging over him made him falter and glance up. Seeing nothing, he frowned and raised his nose, sniffing the air above him lightly. There was no mistaking that scent..."Mizuki-sensei," he said, sounding confused, "why are you hiding?"

A chuckle drifted down to the boy, and then Mizuki dropped to the ground lithely. "There's no fooling you, is there, kid?" he asked, smiling kindly at him. Naruto smiled earnestly at him, gathering up the stolen scroll and hugging it to him with both arms.

"I've been working really hard, Mizuki-sensei," he said eagerly, "but I've only had time to master the first jutsu on the scroll. That'll be enough, right?"

Mizuki's eyes widened for a moment, but then his expression eased back into a smile again. "You've mastered a technique so soon? That's very impressive, Naruto," he said, walking forward to ruffle the boy's hair. Naruto shut his eyes with a contented-cat face. He didn't notice the sharp gleam of metal in Mizuki's free hand, but Kyuubi sure as hell did.

_**Kit--duck to the right in three seconds, then into the trees. **_The Bijuu's voice allowed for no argument, no questioning. Naruto's smile vanished, the warmth in his bright blue eyes extinguished. Other than that, he gave no sign he'd noticed the fox's command; as fast as lightning, Mizuki raised his arm and plunged the kunai down--

Naruto spun out of the man's grip, knuckles white as he clung to the scroll, then dissapeared.

---

"Sasuke, I'm ordering you to stay here," Iruka said sternly, eyes unyeilding. The young Uchiha only crossed his arms, glaring steadily up at the man. Iruka twitched slightly, then knelt to be on eye-level with Sasuke. "Listen--"

"I _won't _listen," the boy snapped, shoving away. "Even if you leave me here, I'll follow you. I'm coming with you to help Naruto. It's..." He looked down, then away. "I want to...I want to make sure he get's back alright, okay?" And then those dark, fathomless eyes were boring into Iruka's, leaving the latter to rethink his decision.

"I'm sure Naruto's not _angry _with you," the man offered hopefully.

"Of course he isn't. He blames himself for the world's problems," Sasuke shot back, eyes narrowing. Iruka stood now, using his height. Sasuke came to his waist, if not a little higher, and had to look up to meet the teacher's eyes. They both knew very well that Iruka could quite easily detain Sasuke and leave him there; and yet still the young prodigy was uncowed.

After a slight pause, Iruka cursed softly under his breath. He was wasting time--Mizuki had probably already found Naruto, they had precious few minutes to do so as well. "Very well," he said, much to Sasuke's obvious delight. The man had to smile at the soft light in those normally impassive eyes, remembering the broken shell of a boy Sasuke had been only weeks previous. The smile was gone in an instant, Iruka's thoughts drawn again to his precious possessed student, and he said, "Try not to fall behind."

---

_I-I don't understand, Kyuubi-niichan, _Naruto panted, eyes wild with fear. _Wh-Why did Mizuki-sensei--_

_**Use your head, kit! **_The Nine-Tails snarled, tails lashing about. _**He obviously **_**used **_**you! He wanted the scroll for himself--this was just an easy way to get away with pinning it all on you. He can rush back empty-handed, claim you stole the scroll and hid it somewhere, and he killed you in a desperate act of self-defense. I can guarantee with one-hundred percent absolute certainty that--**_

Naruto stumbled as he dashed from branch to branch; Kyuubi realized with a start that his charge was sobbing, trying to keep hold of a scroll almost as big as he was, and running for his life at the same time. The monster quieted; _**'My kit cannot trust anyone,' **_he thought to himself, _**'why doesn't he understand that? Trying only leads to pain--pain for him, no one else. And yet he tries?'**_

"Naruto," came a voice from behind, "you can't escape death." 

The boy cried out, spinning around. _**Kit! **_Kyuubi snarled out a warningas the boy's foot twisted perilously close to the edge of the branch. Naruto used his lose footing to push off into a leap at the silver-haired man behind him, landing a solid kick to the face--and then he plummeted to the ground. Landing heavily on his back, he inhaled sharply, tears blurring his vision. The scroll rolled out of his limp fingers and away. Following it with his eyes, he rolled onto his stomach and got his limbs under him.

_**What are you doing, kit? **_Kyuubi asked when the child crawled slowly toward it.

_If he's so desperate to get this, _Naruto panted softly, _then he's obviously not a good guy. I have to get it back to Konoha..._

"Not so fast, little one." A foot smashed into Naruto's face, and he flew backward, landing heavily on his very sore back once more. Moaning, he rolled weakly onto his stomach--and then a foot was crushing into his spine; Naruto bit his lip, determined to take the pain soundlessly. After all, he'd had practice...

_This is nothing._

The man gripped a fistful of his hair, hauling him back up to his feet. Looking into the boy's face, he faltered; there was no expression, no emotion there. Those once brilliant blue eyes were suddenly a light, lifeless gray.

_I'll just hide again._

The man, alarmed, threw the boy from him; the child landed heavily in a heap at the base of a large tree. Mizuki watched him carefull for a moment and when Naruto offered no movement, he relaxed again. "Incredible. If it wasn't for your steady breathing," the man said softly, speaking in that light, warm tone he'd used to decieve Naruto into thinking he was a compassionate, loving friend from the start; moving forward and kneeling beside the crumpled form, "or the sound of your heartbeat, I'd believe you were truly dead."

_They'll never find me here._

Soft fingers cupped around his throat. His body gave an involuntary spasm of fear, but he himself gave no reaction.

_I'm safe here._

Something cold and sharp bit into his neck.

_I'll be okay._

At the first trickle of warmth, Kyuubi snarled silently. _**Get up, kit!**_

As his vision began to fade, the world tipping at odd angles, he closed his eyes; better to die in darkness than to see that leering face of the one whom he thought cared...

_I'll be ok--_

The whistle of a projectile flying on-course at its human target rang out quite suddenly; Mizuki dropped Naruto, dodging out of the way in time to avoid an unpleasant encounter with the shuriken that embedded itself in the bark of the tree mere inches above Naruto's shoulder. "Whose there?!" Mizuki snarled, eyes sweeping the small clearing from where he perched on a branch above the still Naruto, safe and out of harm's way so far up.

A leaf floated before him suddenly, fluttering down haphazardly though there was no wind to disturb its drifting fall...

Mizuki's eyes widened, but before he could turn around, even as his fingers twitched towards his shuriken holster, Iruka's arm was around his throat, kunai positioned with deadly accuracy over the vital point in his jugular.

"I knew you'd get here eventually Iruka," the man said quietly, despite barely being able to breathe.

Iruka's voice came out strangled. "Then why?"

"He's a monster," Mizuki said softly. "A demon. He deserves death, and I wanted the scroll for my own use; it worked out nicely. Or at least, it would have." He winced when Iruka's strangle-hold tightened and drew in a weak breath. "Is this how it is, then? Loyalty to a loathsome creature, over loyalty to your best friend?"

Although he couldn't see it, Iruka's eyes slid closed, expression tortured--but he kept his voice strong when he replied, "If it had been anyone else, Mizu. _Anyone _else, this wouldn't have been necessary. But I can't let you hurt him." Mizuki was silent for a moment, listening to the subdued agony in the brunet's voice. And then Iruka said quietly, "I can't feel regret for what I'm about to do--only dissapointment. Mizuki."

He turned his face away as he drew his arm across his comrade's throat.

---

_He heard voices. They were so familiar to him, and they seemed so far away--too far away, they needed to come closer...He wanted them to be closer, he wanted to be nearer...And yet every step he took towards them brought him closer to the fear, and the pain..._

_It hurt so _bad...

_Better to stay here, in the dark. In the darkness, alone--_

Rain?

---

"Sasuke?" Iruka, fully composed, jumped down from the limb and the corpse of his once-upon-a-time closest friend, glancing about the clearing; it was empty. Only the pool of warm blood at the foot of the tree served as evidence of the sometime presence of another human being.

_Smart kid, _Iruka thought, pleased; Sasuke had hidden both himself and Naruto thoroughly in the short time Mizuki had been incapacitated, so that in the case of Iruka's defeat, Naruto would be in no immediate danger--they'd have enough time to make it back to the village.

But the scent of blood was strong and led Iruka straight to a smaller clearing maybe twenty yards away from the first. Sasuke was sitting with his back to the trunk of a tree, Naruto in front of him. His dark eyes flashed malevolently when Iruka stepped forward, and immediately four shuriken were held inbetween his fisted fingers. "If you're Mizuki," the Uchiha snarled, "know that I'll kill you before you take one step closer to him."

Iruka could tell he'd been crying.

"There's no need for that," Iruka said, moving forward steadily. "We have to get Naruto taken care of first." His sure movements put Sasuke off-guard--because if he'd been Mizuki in disguise, he'd surely have tried to placate Sasuke first off--but the boy wasn't entirely at ease. Iruka scowled, stopping short. "If we don't stop the bleeding in his neck, he'll die from bloodloss." Sasuke glanced down at his bloody arms; Iruka saw that he'd tried to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, covered the cut with the inside of his jacket to act as gauze. Slowly, Sasuke transferred Naruto into Iruka's hands, keeping his stars at the ready--and Iruka knew that if he truly meant Naruto harm (like hell), he'd be dead within seconds of an act of harm towards the blond.

But even as Iruka began to dress the wound, he paused; his eyes widened in amazement as he watched the soft skin repair itself, the wound already beginning to scar. "Poor kid," he said quietly, running gossamer fingers over the long, ugly scar. "But it won't be there tomorrow."

---

_How could it be raining? He watched the droplets of water hit the bottom of his world and ripple out, making everything shaky and unstable--things crumbling in, disappearing. He fell against one side, bracing himself. What happened to his calm and peace? What could be upsetting this place so much..._

---

Sasuke sat vigilant at Naruto's beside all night, watching the unconscious blond with no signs of drowsiness himself. Iruka, content with knowing his charge was safe under the roof no other villager dared enter under (a.k.a.--at the Uchiha Compound), told Sasuke he'd be in the next room if the boy needed anything.

He let himself cry there, alone, for the death of who he thought to be his best friend. He cried because Mizuki had almost ended Naruto; he cried because Mizuki was dead; he cried because he'd been the one to take his life away.

It was so hard, being a human tool; it was so much easier to be a human _servant--_to cry alone when no one's watching you.

---

_The words, echoing around and around his head...They tore at his heart, made him want to cry. He struggled through the rising water to find that voice again, slipping several times, but never really falling. A fiery warmth was surrounding him now; flames licking at the dark water, forging a burning path straight through it. Naruto, glad to be on solid ground, ran fast after the fire, eager to be in the light..._

**TO BE CONTINUED!!1**

**Ahh...I'm glad to have updated this, I really, really am...n.n Please review! I know it sucked, but no flames. I'LL THROW THEM BACK, I SWEAR TO GOD!! I've been practicing my aim, fighting as the useless Roxas:D**


	9. Chapter 8

_**"Sick and tired of this world, there's no more air, tripping over myself, going nowhere, **_

_**Waiting, suffocating, no direction, I took a dive and... **_

_**On the way down, I saw you, and you saved me from myself..."**_

_**-Ryan Cabrera**_

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Eight _

_I really screwed up this time._

He couldn't wrench his eyes from the sight of Naruto, so small and hurt. The roaring storm of the day before had settled into a light, relaxing rain. Sasuke's hands tightened around Naruto's uninjured one, and he cursed himself again and again.

_It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's--_

Something brushed against his leg. Blinking down in surprise, he found himself under the scrutiny of the twins. "W...What do you two want?" Keijo and Neiko stared up at him with bright eyes, tails swishing. "Don't look at me like that!" he snapped, brushing at his eyes with his sleeve; they burned for some reason. "I know it's my fault, okay!? I understand that! I was stupid!" Instinctively, as he spoke, he sought out the other two foxes. Iko was curled up on Naruto's chest, directly over his heart, and Heijiko sat at the foot of the bed. All four pairs of bright eyes, however, were fixated directly on him.

It was rather disconcerting.

"I'm not going to make Naruto stay here anymore," Sasuke whispered, unable to look at the creatures, their expressive eyes. "I can't, after..." He clenched his eyes shut. "He'll live with Umino-sensei. He'll be looked after there--I know Umino-sensei really--"

"Sasuke, Naruto won't blame you."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he spun around; he'd not been aware that Iruka was in the doorway. Flustered, he shouted, "I know that! But he _should!" _He couldn't explain it; he desperately wanted Naruto to stay, but he knew also that he didn't deserve to have the blond around. He'd proved that he didn't have what it takes to watch out for him. He just kept messing up, over and over again.

Naruto could have died.

"He's not the kind of person to place blame." The brunette man came to stand next to Sasuke's chair, ruffling the raven-feather hair with affection. "Not because he's weak, or because he's too forgiving. He's a very empathetic person." Sasuke glanced up with some surprise to see a soft smile on Iruka's face. "He puts himself in another's shoes, in their place. He looks at the situation from their eyes, tries to feel what they feel. He acts on his own good judgement after that--he asks himself, _How would I want them to handle it?" _Seeing Sasuke's expression turn a bit incredulous, he laughed softly, "I've asked him; he told me."

"But..." Sasuke's eyes returned to the limp form. "Aren't you worried?"

"I worry about that boy all day and night, _every _day and night." Iruka brushed some angel blond hair out of the slumbering youth's eyes. "I always worry--about what the villagers might do to him, what he might do to himself." Iruka sighed. "The demon inside him heals him; I'm sure if we took that bandage off his neck, there would only be a slight scar and some dried blood."

Sasuke inhaled. "That's...incredible."

Iruka's voice was humorless when he smiled and replied, "That's what most say."

--

When Naruto's eyes slid open, the first thing he registered was the silence. He blinked heavily, shifting to find a more comfortable position and sleep more--and that's when the previous night came flooding back.

_"I'm sorry, Uchiha-san...I don't want to be alone anymore..."_

_"Naruto? There's this scroll you need get."_

_"Incredible. If it wasn't for your steady breathing or the sound of your heartbeat, I'd believe you were truly dead."_

He bit down hard on his tongue to keep from whimpering aloud. After allowing himself moment for composure, he reached up with a hand to feel his neck, remembering vividly the kunai that had ripped through it. He frowned; _bandages..._

He glanced down at his hand, realizing how heavy it was. He saw the pale fingers wrapped around his own and instantly he sought for Sasuke's face. The boy's eyes were half-open, trained on the floor. On the Uchiha's lap, Keijo and Neiko were curled together and fast asleep; Heijiko was in the window and Iko was at his side.

Kyuubi was amused. _**They must've been up all night.**_

_Fox! _Naruto turned desperately to the Bijuu. _What's going on? I remember Mizuki-sensei--_

_**That bastard tried to kill you, **_Kyuubi said calmly, _**to keep the scroll for himself. The villagers would assume that you simply hid the scroll away somewhere and attacked him, and that he acted only in self-defense. **_Naruto quieted, and Kyuubi pondered how hard it must be for one to learn that someone you thought you could trust out of everyone else in the world you couldn't tried to kill you for nothing more than personal gain. Kyuubi felt it necessary to add, _**And he might've succeeded, had that other teacher of yours not killed him first. **_

_Iruka-sensei?!_

_**Right, the Umino. He didn't seem to pleased with Mizuki. And that damn Uchiha was there, too. **_Kyuubi was careful with his wording, intending to shed as good a light on them as he could without Naruto becoming too suspicious; because as they both knew, he didn't compliment anyone without very, very, very good reason, and even then he might not be in the mood.

_Sas...Uchiha-san was there? _Naruto's eyes found the unresponsive Uchiha. _But he--_

_**He was angry at you for not asking him for help, and angry at himself for not being able to protect you. **_Kyuubi sighed. _**He's a prick.**_

_Shut up! _Naruto yelled at the demon furiously, eyes flashing. _Sasuke is nothing of the sort! _He thought back to the previous night, the glare that had pushed him away--and he realized. _He was scared. He was afraid that something like that might happen again, and he was _terrified _because he didn't know how he might prevent it. He wasn't really glaring at _me..._He was just..._Kyuubi stared at him. _Okay, fine, he was pissed off, too. Jeez._

The kitsune rolled his eyes. _**I'm glad you're feeling better in any case. But know this. **_He brought his head down to the boy's eye-level and snarled. _**Don't you ever put us in a position like that again. Don't trust someone whose never done anything for you because of a few kind words on a bad day. Learn to leave well enough alone and only trust the people who've proven themselves to you. Because if **_**you **_**die, **_**I **_**die, and that would piss me off.**_

_Right, right, _Naruto grinned up at the huge fox. _It's soo good to know you care soo much. _

_**Shut the hell up and focus on what's right in front of you, baka.**_

Naruto smiled and reached over with his other hand to rest it on Sasuke's arm. Shaking him gently, he said, "Sasuke...I'd think you were sleeping if your eyes weren't open..." Sasuke blinked slowly, and lifted his head fractionally. His expression was tired, his eyes pained.

He stared at Naruto for a few minutes before he suddenly jumped up and shouted, "GAH! YOU'RE AWAKE!" which in turn woke up all the foxes, who reacted by yipping and barking and yowling and prancing all over the place, which was what brought Iruka into the room to find Naruto bewildered and overwhelmed, but awake with a smile.

_**Ahh, Hell. How charming.**_

_Shut the hell up._

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto lifted his arms and was rewarded with a tight hug; Iruka lifted him into a warm embrace and Naruto rested his head on his shoulder for a few minutes, as was their routine each time something of this sort happened. Kyuubi once commented how odd it was for a child to have a routine such as this, but since it was all Naruto had ever known he'd only assumed Kyuubi was teasing him and never looked much into it.

"I'm glad to see you're finally up," the man said, sitting down. When Naruto flopped next to him, he gestured for him to turn his head so Iruka could look at the bandage on his neck. "This is probably ready to come off, right?"

_Fox?_

_**Feh. Don't take me so lightly, I had that healed in no time at all. Goddamn humans.**_

"Yeah, it's all healed up." Naruto winced slightly when the medical tape came off, but the blood on the bandage that came away wasn't fresh and the gash that was evidence of the previous night's trauma was gone. Naruto rubbed his neck and glanced at Sasuke, who'd been silent after his initial shout of surprise. "Uchiha-san?"

Sasuke wouldn't look at him. After a moment, Naruto slid off the bed and gathered Iko in his arms. He went to stand before the heir, and presented the furry creature to him. Iko tilted his head, yipping once, and leaned forward to lick Sasuke's nose. Startled, the raven-haired boy staggered back, and looked at Naruto in surprise.

The blond closed his eyes and tipped his head to one side, smiling. "If Iko forgives you, there's no reason why I shouldn't." When Sasuke opened his mouth, undoubtedly to apologize, Naruto continued, "Thank you for coming for me; I'm sorry I overreacted."

_**Apologizing will only make it worse, kit.**_

_Well, we've got to sort this out somehow, don't we?_

_**...I could just eat him.**_

_You and I both know you can't. _Naruto blinked, and went a bit pale. _You can't, can you? _Shaking his head, he listened closely to Sasuke's, "You didn't overreact! And don't apologize!" and smiled again.

"I ran off and made both you and Iruka-sensei worry," he reasoned calmly, "and I'm apoligizing for that." Sasuke scowled, but said nothing else. "But I won't forgive you, Sasuke, for putting yourself in harm's way. Unless, of course, you forgive yourself." He spun and took a few steps toward the kitchen. "Those are my conditions. Iruka-sensei, I'm hungry--can you fix me ramen?"

The man stood, following the boy out of the room; Sasuke heard their light banter on what would be a suitable brunch fade slowly down the hall. He sat silently in the midst of Naruto's foxes and thought, before he realized abruptly,

_He called me Sasuke._

--

"Class," Iruka announced brightly, "we have two new students." He glanced towards the doorway, and a blond boy strode in, towing a somewhat reluctant dark-haired boy behind him. "This is Naruto and Sasuke--they'll be in your class from now on--so be _nice." _It was almost a threat; all the students nodded earnestly.

This class was a smaller one; a lot of them recognized Naruto, but most were older children who'd seen enough of the world not to pick on one small boy. In fact, it was the boy's size that assuaged most of the class's fears about the "evil demon" they'd heard so much about. They were all reasonably intelligent; and the little whisker-scarred child who stood meekly before them, clutching the hand of a severely pissed-off Uchiha, did not seem in the least bit evil or demonic.

"It's okay, Sasuke," Naruto said, peering into the heir's face. "Why're you--" He cut off with a sudden yelp as a ball of white fluff tackled him and sent him staggering back.

"Akamaru!" A brunet youth was rushing down the steps towards them; he had red triangles on each cheek, and slanted, cat-like eyes.

"You're dog attacked my friend!" Sasuke shouted at him, making him wince; but then Naruto was tugging on his shirt, laughing and assuring them both that it was fine. The puppy was nestled in his arms, licking his face and neck contentedly, and Kiba sighed with relief, thinking he might get off the hook.

Iruka descended upon them like a cloud of death. "Kiba," he said in a strained voice, "how many times have I told you about having that dog in the classroom?"

Kiba wouldn't look at him. "I dunno."

"Aww, Iruka-sensei," Naruto turned to look up at him with those big blue eyes. "Can't it stay now that it's here? I mean, it's not hurting anyone..."

_"No _means _no."_

"But--!" Naruto scowled, and Sasuke recognized that look in his eyes; there was no way he'd let it go until he won. Sasuke sighed and walked forward to take a seat in the back. "It's just a puppy; it could get hurt if its on its own. You wouldn't let one of my foxes get hurt, would you?"

"That's another story entirely."

"You mean I can bring them to school?"

"No!"

"Then how is it different, dammit?!"

"Because I say it is!"

"That's a lame-ass excuse for a response!"

Akamaru barked once, panting and wagging his tail. Naruto petted his head, handing him over to Kiba, who lifted him up to eye level and scolded him, before setting him on his head. Akamaru settled there contentedly, glancing around. Naruto raised on eyebrow at Iruka, who sighed. "Fine, just take your seats," he waved them off.

Kiba cheered and slapped a high five with Naruto, before they both trotted back up to where Sasuke was sitting. "Oh, god, _you _sit here?" he deadpanned when Kiba slid back into his seat.

"What of it?" the dog-boy snapped back, before Iruka called for attention. Sasuke and Kiba bickered to each other throughout the rest of the class, and Naruto smiled.

For the first time in their new life together, he and Sasuke had made a friend.

**Yay lateness! It's only been about four months! :D...No, don't shoot me...Please review!**


	10. Chapter 9

**"The summer's all in bloom,**

**The summer's ending soon,**

**It's all right,**

**And it's nice not to be so alone, **

**But I hold onto secrets..."**

**-Vanessa Carlton**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Nine_

"Wuaaa!" Naruto clung to him tearfully, making the rest of their class laugh as their teacher stepped briefly out of the room pretending not to hear a word. "But I want Kiba-chan to be on our team, Iruka-sensei! That's no faaairrr!" Kiba was blushing, trying to pry Naruto off him, who wouldn't be budged.

"Naruto, I'm not leaving the village!" he said, finally detaching the blond and holding his wrists. "Calm down--and at least you have Sasuke on your team." Kiba was gratified to see those sad blue eyes light up again, and watched Naruto turn to attack Sasuke, who bore it with the patience of routine.

The children from other classes were there, too, all waiting to hear who would be in their group. Sasuke was glaring over Naruto's head at their old class; said children were glaring right back, and muttering disdainfully--their cold looks were obviously in Naruto's direction.

Even as a child, Kiba could converse with his puppy. Akamaru could sense the emotions of people, like pretty much any dog, so Naruto's happiness was almost like a scent to him--and even when Naruto's joyful expression didn't change, that scent disappeared--and he told his boy such. Kiba glanced at Sasuke; the Uchiha had an arm around Naruto's shoulders, eyes so fierce and angry that Akamaru whimpered.

Kiba knew the gossip--he knew that apparently Naruto was some kind of monster, though he could never find out why. He knew that inside the boy, there was something...unearthly, but only because he could smell it. He knew the villagers hated Naruto, threw things at him and shouted for him to go away, even when the boy did nothing at all. He knew all this, but didn't know why--and honestly-to-God didn't care. He knew Naruto and Sasuke well, even if they had only come into his life a short time ago. He knew they were loyal, and trustworthy, and rather protective when it came down to it; the only people he'd met like that before had been dogs.

So he spun on his heel and stalked to the other side of the room towards the offending students. "If you've got something to say, why don't you come out and say it?" he snapped angrily.

One of the boys glowered at him, looking him up and down. "And why should we?"

"Because honestly," drawled a new voice, "we can't hear you too well. Speak up a bit, then maybe we can have a friendly discussion." It was Shikamaru, who crossed his arms and leaned against Chouji (being too lazy to stand up straight), looking bored. But his dark eyes were sharp, face unreadable behind the lazy exterior.

The children who didn't know of these groups' history together stayed out of it; they looked at the supposed "monster," silently standing with the heir of the Uchiha clan, who had his arms around him protectively, as they stood like any two brothers, and at the three boys coming to their defense. Surely a demon wouldn't have friends like that...

Iruka walked back in as Kiba made to throw the first punch, stopped only when Sasuke and Naruto grabbed him and hauled him back, Sasuke snapping, "You're doing no good by this!" Bewildered, Iruka glanced at the rest of his class; most of them were glaring at Yuiku-sensei's class, most of whom were glaring right back. And then his eyes went back to Naruto, Sasuke and Kiba, and he realized. "Hey!" he shouted loudly, banging his clipboard onto his desk, rewarded with silence. "Everyone back to their seats," he snapped, "and now." There was a flurry of movement as everyone hastened to obey.

--

"Bye, Kiba..." Naruto waved at him sadly.

"C'mon, Naruto, cheer up," the brunet said helplessly. "I'll take you out for ramen later, okay?" And then he turned and trotted down the hall after his two new cell members. Naruto sighed, and turned to look at Sasuke.

"Wouldn't it have been great if it had been you, me and Kiba?"

Sasuke nodded. "But that would have been too good to be true."

"Right..."

"Um...?" Both boys glanced up as a pink-haired girl they recognized from their old class stepped forward, looking at them a little earnestly. "I'm Haruno Sakura...I used to be in your class?"

"I know," Naruto said politely, bowing. "I'm Naruto, and this is Sasuke." Sasuke ignored Sakura completely. "We've never been formally introduced." He smiled at her, a reassuring, welcoming gesture that left her speechless. She'd been taught to hate this boy as she grew up; taught to loathe him, to fear him, to curse him. And she'd had a crush on Sasuke since she first laid eyes on him--yet here she was, seeing the one she should hate acting kind and warm towards her, and the one she should love acting cold.

Suddenly the door rattled open; everyone glanced over as a silver-haired man with a cloth mask over the lower half of his face stepped inside. His forehead protector covered one of his eyes; his other scrutinized them shamelessly. "My first impression--idiots, the lot of you."

Sasuke bristled; Naruto's face fell, and Sakura looked confused. "But," she said, "you only just met us, we haven't said a word--"

He silenced her with a cold stare. Sasuke felt Naruto tensing beside him and opened his mouth to growl something less than respectful; Naruto glared at him and hissed, "Now whose doing no good?" He turned to their new teacher and said quietly, "I apologize for him," but his eyes were alight with mischief--he didn't mean a word.

And it was then that Sasuke realized--Naruto hadn't been scared; he'd been angry. The days at school had changed him, and for the better in Sasuke's opinion. He spoke louder, laughed more, and apologized less and less for things outside his control. He'd made friends who would back him up, and proved it; he was coming out of the shell he'd made of himself--stepping out from behind his glass.

_But he could shatter at any moment. One wrong word, one wrong step--and everything we've done to heal him will break away and leave him helpless. We're his armor right now, his shield, until he can forge his own._

_--_

He studied the three ninja-wannabes with something akin to sinking disappointment and bitter resignation tied into one heavy load that lodged itself somewhere in his gut; he always wondered why he got his hopes up with each new batch of kids, and yet he couldn't help but feel maybe a little let down when he assessed them at their first meeting to be hopeless.

The first, an Uchiha, was glaring at the ground, fingers laced and hands brought up to cover the lower half of his face, elbows resting on his knees, ignoring the girl to his left and keeping an eye on the boy to his right. The girl kneeling at his side, hair an amazingly annoying shade of pink, gazed at him with shameless admiration, blushing openly as she tried to engage him in conversation. And the boy sat quietly, reaching up every now and then to run his fingers carefully over the metal plate of his hitai-ate, a dazed grin fixated on his scarred face.

_Always the same, _the Jounin sighed inwardly, before addressing the three aloud. "Oi."

Obsidian eyes flashed up to meet his own likewise dark ones; the girl blinked and glanced around curiously, brushing wrinkles out of her skirt-like-thing absently. He was intrigued with the blond boy's reaction; his smile fell from existence and his entire face closed like a book slammed shut. He gave Kakashi a once-over and scowled, obviously not liking whatever it was he found; unconsciously, he shifted close to Sasuke. But it was the girl who spoke up, in an annoyingly expectant tone, "You're to be our sensei?"

_Sorry to disappoint. _"Yes." Again, he noticed something in the blue-eyed boy's gaze, but said child offered nothing else than an unwavering stare. He looked away, deciding that the blond was just trying to act macho in front of the other two. _Well, I suppose it's better to begin. _"Okay. I want you three to give me your names--"

"You first," the whisker-scarred boy said suddenly.

"You should go first," the Haruno girl said immediately after him, acting as though she hadn't heard him and had come up with the notion on her own. Kakashi glanced at the boy who looked momentarily subdued, and then unaffected. "To give us an idea of what you mean."

_This is going to be a very, very long day._

--

And to further his disappointment in them, none of them had any of the required skills to even come close to getting the bells. Uchiha was too cocky, Haruno too...fangirly, and Uzumaki too impulsive. While it was true the latter had been the only one to try bringing his team together, the girl had shot him down at once; and it was painfully easy to see that she found Naruto inferior. Naruto, for his part, shook it off and trotted away from them; Kakashi, intrigued had followed via tree, unseen and undetected.

The boy sat down heavily at the base of a tree farther from his teammates and sighed. "Damn it," he muttered to the sky, eyes mirroring back a clearer blue. "We'll never get those bells, now. If Kakashi-sensei--" _Awww, he thinks of me as a sensei already, _Kakashi thought with some cynical humor. _Just who does this Jinchuuriki think he is? _"--is a Jounin and we're hardly Genin, we wouldn't have had a chance even if we did pull together...but we sure would have been more impressive than we were back there..." He was drawing stick people in the dirt with a finger, eyes downcast, making himself look a lot younger than he already did. "I can't believe I was so stupid, just rushing at him like that..." Something flickered behind the boy's expression. "If this keeps up, I won't be able to keep my promise..." The idea didn't seem to please him; he frowned and stood, then swayed a little and leaned against the tree for support. "...Damn it...I need food..." He shook his head furiously. "Think straight! I can always eat later...I wonder where Sasuke is, once I find him we can get out of this..."

_This kid actually has some potential, _Kakashi thought, bemused and impressed as the little ninja fought to compose himself. _At least he's attempting teamwork. As for those other two..._

--

"Here, Sakura, you can have some of my lunch," he heard Naruto say from where he crouched in the bushes. "And before you say no, think about it. You're no use to us--to _Sasuke _if you're hungry." Kakashi heard Sakura's muttered agreements, and then paused in his aggravated eye-roll; Naruto was the one who offered her his lunch? He peered out through the leaves again; sure enough, Sakura was eating--doing the best she could--ravenously; whereas Sasuke muttered something at her, before getting up and situating himself next to Naruto to share his lunch with him. Then they reclined against the log with their eyes closed, apparently waiting for something to happen.

_Well, even though it's probably not what they're expecting..._

And when they all three yelped at the explosions of smoke, Kakashi gave an inward, satisfied cackle. He then went on to explain the value of teamwork and got the idea into his head for some reason that none of them were paying attention; Sakura was doing a little dance-and-cheer thing she'd made up on the spot (still tied to the post), Sasuke looked deliriously happy, seemingly torn between jumping up and down or taking the news calmly like a professional--and Naruto grabbed his hands to pull him into a victory dance.

"Iruka-sensei's gonna be thrilled!" he cheered, and Kakashi watched Sasuke's cold scowl melt into a warm smile.

_Good work, kid. You dragged the team through. Barely, but it was enough._

--

He paced.

He was uneasy ever since that meeting with the Sandaime, and with every passing second the feeling grew until it was a large something painful gnawing at him from the inside out. He had given his class their papers and told them to work quietly and efficiently if they didn't want homework, and they'd listened for the most part; but now most of them had their chins propped up on their hands, simply watching their sensei retrace his steps back and forth in the front of the room. He never looked at them once as he continued his repetitive march; _It's been awhile, _he thought to himself, throwing a furtive glare at the clock on his desk. _What's taking them so long?_

_I can't believe Naruto had to be assigned to him, _he thought not for the first time. The boy finally graduates, and he's assigned the Jounin famous for failing every team sent to him?

He paced.

It wasn't fair; not only did Naruto have what it took to be a ninja, he worked so hard to get that far, and like hell Iruka was going to let some copy-cat shinobi take that from him.

He paced.

But there wasn't much he could do, really. Naruto hated anything going on behind his back concerning him; even if it was for his benefit. _He'd never forgive me if I went to the Hokage about it..._

"I-RU-KA-SEN-SEI!"

He froze and spun to face the window; running down the street in the direction of the Academy was an orange-clad, weary-looking little boy, waving an arm (because he dragged Sasuke along behind him with the other) and miraculously keeping balance as he did, crying, "We passed! We _passed!"_

And as Iruka slid the classroom window open, choosing to hop out it rather than use the door; he would concentrate now on congratulating his boys, telling them they deserved it and that he had expected nothing less of them...As soon as he made it out the window, Naruto tackled him, throwing his arms around him in a huge hug, near crying as he shouted, "We passed, we passed, we passed!"

The brunet man laughed helplessly, relieved beyond belief as he ruffled the blond's hair with one hand, bringing him and the young heir into a one-armed hug with the other. "That's wonderful, Naruto, Sasuke," he said with feeling, aware of the rest of their team approaching. "How about we celebrate with some ramen?" He could feel how tired the boys were, and, even more so, how thin Naruto was, leaning against him; like a single strike would break him, the smallest wave would drag him under, the weakest wind carry him away--and yet there he stood, laughing wearily and telling Iruka all about how hungry he was.

"Umino Iruka?" came an unfamiliar voice. Iruka felt Sasuke stiffen and fall silent, and glanced up into the face of the platinum-haired man that was to be his new sensei.

"Yes," Iruka replied with that easy smile, that I-don't-know-you-and-have-reason-not-to-trust-or-like-you-so-don't-push-your-luck smile.

The Jounin was unimpressed, and mirrored the expression, while saying, "As you might have heard, these three passed."

"I wonder why I had that feeling," Iruka said mock-thoughtfully, still ruffling Naruto's hair absently. Kakashi glanced at Naruto, feeling the two liquid-blue eyes boring into him unblinkingly. He was a little unnerved; but then Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist, glaring at Kakashi, and towed him off.

"Sasuke and Naruto don't seem to like you." Iruka's voice was blunt.

"Neither, it seems, do you," Kakashi pointed out, just as frank.

Iruka smiled at him, one that didn't quite make it to his eyes. "Yes, well--I trust my students more than I trust some shady Jounin who doesn't care enough about the dreams of young ones to put a little effort into teaching them." He bowed to him, hands in his pockets, and walked away.

Kakashi stood watching him, eyes unreadable; at his side, Sakura watched Sasuke and Naruto. And the two shared a similar thought;

_Things aren't going according to plan._

**Rather short, I know, but I was eager to update--I'm trying to get back on top of my writing (and I'm so far behind that I'm beginning to think it's not going to be possible) so perhaps you could all bear with some short chapters for just a little while?**

**Thanks for reading! Please review--I don't mind flames, even, any feedback at all is welcome. I LOVVERR YOUUUZZ!!**


	11. Chapter 10

**As I'm sure most of you are aware, I've recently gotten over a MAJOR block. It took me a long time to find my inspiration (thank god, I found it in SW). This update is rather short, but only because I'm trying to get a feel for this story again. Hopefully, my sudden desire to write Naruto-related angst will be enough to fuel my dormant passion for this humble little fic...-prays-**

_**"Close your eyes,**_

_**so many days go by, **_

_**easy to find what's wrong, **_

_**harder to find what's right..."**_

**-Breaking Benjamin**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Ten_

Sasuke slid a comforting arm around Naruto's shoulders as the latter sighed. Naruto was still afraid--he'd been brave to go back to school, and Iruka had been proud of him. The teacher had pulled a few strings for Naruto's sake, changing the way in which things were done--which is how Sasuke and Naruto ended up in the class they were in, and why all the classes were pulled together to seperate into teams. Iruka had assumed that the boys would do better in his class, and he'd assumed right.

After the small incident with Akamaru, they'd gotten on well with Kiba, and he was hardly seen without them. He didn't seem to realize that he should actually hate the blond; his family had always been "weird" like that, having not taught their son to throw stones at the child. So seeing people on the streets picked on Naruto riled him up, and he vented that anger out on school bullies.

After that, it was kind of a chain reaction; after Kiba made friends with them, Chouji was brave enough to approach, and then that earned them Shikamaru's friendship as well. Within no time at all, the entire class, or those of the class who would actually attempt to make Naruto or Sasuke's life a misery, quickly learned that this would be the same as stepping on the road to pain and torment.

Soon, though, the thought never crossed their minds; it wasn't actually hate that fueled the bullies' attempts, just their overall demeanor. The class didn't think much of them at first, but only because they were new kids. Soon they were both just another two classmates, and treated as such. It was an eye-opening experience for Naruto, who wasn't sure how to adapt, so Sasuke explained to everyone that he was just shy.

Still, as short as it was, being in that classroom and interacting with all those children on more pleasant terms than he was used to did amazing things for Naruto. Sasuke was amazed at how he handled meeting Sakura, and even more so at Naruto's coolness towards Kakashi.

But then...Sasuke had thought harder about it. When they first met, Naruto was glaring at him, meekness nowhere near his eyes. He had demanded treatment for his fox, and when reassured he would get it, he retreated back inside himself, and became the flinching person he is. But even before that; all those years before he knew Sasuke, he had never really had to speak to anyone. He was ignored, beaten or cursed; never simply talked to. So, he had to come up with some kind of defense against that.

And after thinking back, Sasuke had remembered; he'd been walking home from school late one afternoon when he saw Naruto get beat up for the first time. Shock flooded through him at the sight of grown men beating a child senseless. He recognized the boy as the horrible demon everyone spoke of in hushed tones, but that didnt change his fiery resent towards those people. Every way he looked at it, the thing they were kicking was a blond boy smaller than Sasuke even, who made no attempt to fight back or even stand. And when he looked up, his blue eyes were cold; Sasuke could feel the chill from where he stood, across the street, and it rooted him to place. There was no expression in those eyes; just an empty void that made Sasuke's voice catch in his throat. If anything, that demon boy was not afraid, or even hurting; he was merely there, looking up at them, as if wondering when he could leave.

Those eyes had stayed with him for months; how could anyone _look_ like that? So beyond hope that they just didn't care what was done to them, no matter how painful? Sasuke had been scared; not of the kid, but for him. That kind of look would get him in so much more trouble than tears would. It would make the men try harder to make him cry.

And they did, but those eyes never changed. So Sasuke took to following him, watching him; for the most part, the boy--Naruto was his name--avoided for the most part contact with the villagers. He went out of his way to avoid them. Only a handful of people treated him like a human, two of which being the ramen vendors. They always welcomed him at their shop, and gave him no less than what he ordered. Sasuke looked at them in a new light after watching Naruto smile hugely up at them, blue eyes brilliant and in no way apathetic.

But never once did he approach; he would have had no clue what to say.

And now--Sasuke knew for certain. Naruto had had practice in dealing with people; he slid so easily back into that cool persona, it was almost frightening.

_But I'll protect him, _Sasuke decided firmly. _I'll be there for him, and he'll be there for me. Just like brothers should be. _Because that's what Naruto was; a brother. More of a brother than he'd ever had before, or would ever have again. Not related to him by blood, but Sasuke liked to think they were the same somewhere deeper inside.

* * *

"So, how was your team assemble?" Iruka asked them teasingly, watching them scarf down their food like starving animals.

"Exhausting," Naruto mumbled through a mouthful of noodles, slowly slurping them up out of the bowl, not even bothering with his chopsticks. Iruka blinked, and looked over at Sasuke, who was just kind of laying in his bowl, noodles untouched.

"Well, maybe you should get some rest then," the school teacher decided, standing and prodding them to get them to stand as well. Sasuke muttered some unintelligable protest, but slid off the stool anyway and yawned.

On the way back to the Uchiha estate, however, they encounted none other than Hatake Kakashi, who was waiting for them on the corner. Iruka scowled a bit in distaste, but his step didn't falter; as opposed to Sasuke who stopped dead on the sidewalk and glared with an almost murderous intent at the silver-haired man, and Naruto, who took on a vaguely uninterested expression and strengthened his stride. Iruka told Sasuke to keep up, before turning to smile politely at Kakashi when the latter nodded to him.

"Hatake-san," Iruka said vaguely. "How nice to see you."

"Likewise, I'm sure," the man replied, humor in the one eye that could be seen. "It's late." Iruka took this to mean that he'd been waiting for awhile.

"I treated Naruto and Sasuke to some ramen after their ordeal." His tone implied nothing. Sasuke and Naruto looked from him to Kakashi, aware of the unspoken conversation underlying their words, and yet unable to decipher it. It was rather unnerving.

"Uhh, Iruka-sensei," Sasuke said, "we're gonna go on ahead. We'll see you tomorrow." He gestured at Naruto, and they turned before the adults could get a word in edgewise and disappeared around the corner.

"Now that they're gone--" Kakashi began.

"Mind if I start?" Iruka's demeanor changed in that instant, and Kakashi almost took a step back. "If you ever physically exhaust another one of my students to their breaking point, I will make myself heard." His dark eyes flashed unforgivingly. He couldn't explain why, but he felt the need to make this man's life a misery to the best of his abilities. "Okay, it's your turn now."

"...Right." The Jounin was quick to regain himself. "I was wondering if you had any records on Haruno, Uchiha or Uzumaki. I'd like to know what I'm dealing with."

Iruka considered this for a moment, before nodding. "Alright," he agreed, "after you torture the children, meet me in my classroom and we'll go over their files."

* * *

"Nn...Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

They were sprawled out on the living room floor, the room a mess of blankets and pillows. The foxes lay snuggled in random folds of some of the blankets, so any movement was to be carefully considered. Moonlight filtered in through the thin curtains at the window, casting a silvery glow over the room, leaving its inhabitants feeling calm and sleepy.

"What do you think of Kakashi-sensei?"

Sasuke scowled. "Not as my sensei."

Naruto frowned, staring at the ceiling. "But, he's going to teach us from now on. You don't have to admire him, but you have to at least try to respect him...right?" Iko shifted, curling into a tighter ball next to Naruto's ear, making soft noises in its sleep. "And he hasn't really _done _anything to--"

"It's what he hasn't done, won't do and never will." Sasuke _hmph_ed and rolled over. There was a squeak of protest when he dislodged the twins, and then a brief chaos when all the foxes decided to run around and find new places to hide, before everyone settled down and slept.

* * *

She was already there when they arrived. Sasuke stiffened at the sight of her, and turned away with a scowl. Naruto was more polite, smiling a hello at her, and making his disinterest less obvious by sitting down on a tree stump that was unnecessarily far away. Sasuke remained standing where he was. Sakura got the concept, though, and wondered for a tearful moment why the Uchiha seemed to hate her so much. She hadn't done anything to him!

"Naruto-kun," she said, thinking fast, "would you come here?"

Naruto tilted his head, looking a little confused, but stood and trotted over to her anyway. Sasuke's eyes followed him carefully, and, when they met Sakura's, turned very hostile.

"What did you need?" he asked her with a perplexed smile. She smiled back, hiding her disgust.

"Actually, it's sensei--he told me to ask you, when you got here, to met him over there." She pointed at the storage shed on the other side of the fields. "Sasuke-kun," she said a little more hesitantly, "he told us to wait for him near the gate..."

Sasuke glared at her again, but looked at Naruto; Naruto smiled, waving a hand at him, and Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and began to make his way back down the beaten dirt path. He stopped when he realized Sakura wasn't following, and turned again, keeping his eyes on her.

"Why does sensei want me over there?" Naruto asked Sakura suddenly, blue eyes a little more direct, voice a little less appeasing.

She racked her brain quickly. "To help bring out the targets and stuff. Do you mind? I mean, I could--"

"No, that's fine, I was just curious. Better go wait with Sasuke, else Sasuke'll come and drag you along by the hair." Naruto laughed cheerfully, and Sakura paled. _Would he really...?_

Naruto made his way to the storage shed, listening to the birds and smaller animals in the nearby trees and brush. He smiled, made light-hearted just knowing he wasn't alone in this strangely deserted place, and pushed open the heavy door.

"It's really dark..." As he ran his hands along the wall, blindly feeling for the light switch, his foot stirred up dust; inhaling the musty air made him cough, and he lost his grip on the door, which swung shut solidly and with noise enough to make him yelp and stumble. Sitting up where he'd fallen, he looked around himself at the absolute darkness and felt an ominous claustrophobia sink in.

_Sensei isn't coming, is he?_

* * *

"Naruto sure is taking awhile," were Sasuke's first words to her all afternoon. Sakura winced, and attempted a smile.

"Sure is..."

"I'm going to go look for him." The heir stood, and Sakura jumped to her feet as well.

"No! Sensei will get mad at you if you aren't where he told you to be!" For her, as for most other children, this would be enough of an excuse to compel her to sit and wait. She was brought up around the notion that adults always knew best. But as much as she loved him, she had no clue that Sasuke all but hated every single adult in the village, and felt by no means obligated to obey them.

He turned a very cold glare on her. "Get out of my way."

"Why?" she yelled finally, eyes burning with frustrated tears. "Why do you despise me? I've done nothing to you! You hate me, and yet you seem to _love _that little--"

Sasuke suddenly caught her wrist, and yanked her arm hard enough to make her cut herself off with a whimper. "You've done something to him, haven't you?" he hissed, eyes burning into hers.

She was afraid. "S...Sasuke, I--"

"Don't be so familiar with me!" He let go of her arm with force, throwing her from him. "I hated you because I didn't trust you. I thought for sure you'd try something against Naruto, just like everyone else. Don't think I missed the way you've been eyeing him. He's been nothing but kind to you!" It was the most she'd ever heard him say; she couldn't stop herself trembling in the face of his rage. "He told me to quit worrying, that nothing would happen, and I thought 'Maybe she'll prove me wrong.' But I wasn't wrong, was I?"

He felt nothing when he saw her tears. Narrowing his eyes further at her, he turned and sprinted down the path again, back towards the shed.

It was the first time in her life, Sakura had ever been yelled at like that. The first time she'd been thrown to the ground. And it was definitely the first time she'd ever heard anyone defend the demon child.

* * *

When the door opened, Naruto looked up expecting to see Sasuke. Instead, however, he saw his new teacher sillouhetted in the doorframe, looking down at him with an enigmatic expression. Naruto blinked up at him, unsure whether or not to thank him, as he felt he should, or to make a run for it, like he knew Sasuke would. He felt that creeping fear of people trickle down his spine.

Then the man said, "Why're you here?"

And Naruto replied, "Got locked in."

And Kakashi's eyes drifted to the door, and he said, "Now that makes more sense."

Naruto was confused. "Than what?"

"You're pink-haired friend told me you went to get something out of here."

Immediately, Naruto thought of Sakura and felt a rush of sadness and hurt. "She's not my friend." Kakashi heard the sorrow in his voice, and glanced at him. Naruto stood, brushing himself off to give him something to do with his hands. He'd tried to trust someone, and look where it got him? Maybe he _was _better off alone.

As he stepped out into field again, Kakashi closing the door behind him, Naruto heard thudding footsteps and panting inhales. He looked up, squinting in the too-bright light to see Sasuke rushing in his direction. Worry was in the Uchiha's eyes, that Naruto could see even from the distance he was at. Even if Kakashi hadn't come, Sasuke would have, without a doubt. Naruto wouldn't have been left alone.

He smiled, and ran to meet him.

**Yes the quality is getting steadily worse and worse--don't think you're the only one to realize! But as I said before, I really am working on getting up-to-snuff (hee) on all my fics. Okay? Can we all live with that? Good...**

**REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Yes, I know--all I've been good for lately are random shounen-ai drabbles for various anime. -spreads hands- I'm sorry! It's easier to write about a cute pairing than to focus on a real storyline, and writing drabbles makes me feel like I'm not completely slacking off...But I got a sudden urge to write write write, so I decided to wing it with this fic and see how it went.**

**Nothing amazingly interesting happens in this chapter. xD; Gomen! Oh! Btw! If you guys have anything you want to see happen in the fic, or any ideas you'd like to share, PLEAAAASE tell me!**

_**"And my feet can't stay on the ground any longer,**_

_**With every leap of faith I feel a little stronger..."**_

**-Sydney Forest**

Glass Behind the Blue

-

_Chapter Eleven_

"That went well," Kakashi said brightly. His remark was met with identical looks of rage and hatred that lit up the faces of his new students. His light chuckle broke off and he coughed into his fist. "Well it could have been worse, anyway."

"I don't see how," Sakura panted, still trying to regain her breath. She was coated thickly in mud and her face was covered in dirt. The only thing stopping Sasuke from laughing outright at her was the fact that he probably didn't look much better. A quick glance at Naruto proved that the blond (who knew the forest far better than his cellmates) had faired slighty better, but still spent a good ten minutes picking leaves out of his hair; his once-orange clothes were now an earthy brown color.

"Alright," Kakashi said finally, somehow completely spotless after everything, "you're dismissed for the day. Meet back up here at noon tomorrow." He disappeared with a soft bang, white smoke wafting out toward the remaining three children.

"I hate him," Sasuke muttered, hoisting himself up and wincing when his body protested. He offered Naruto a hand up. Naruto stood, staggering slightly as he tried to shift his weight so walking wouldn't hurt as much.

"I'm tired," came his mumbled confession; he looked as worn out as Sasuke felt.

"Let's go home and sleep until that silver-haired bastard drags us out of bed," the heir suggested. His proposal was met with a tired enthusiasm, and he and his brother began making their way back home, leaving Sakura, dirty and disshelved, sitting alone in the middle of the training field without so much as a goodbye.

She wondered if crying was worth it; in the end, she couldn't help but let a few tears escape as she picked herself up and dusted her clothing off the best that she could, biting her lip and feeling like everything she'd worked for in the academy had already somehow been lost.

Kakashi watched from the tree branch nearby as she left, scrubbing her face with the back of her hand to remove all evidence of her tears. He thought back; he'd found little Naruto in that old shed, looking rather shaken and very alone, saw Sasuke come running--which left only Sakura who, when the three of them returned to the meeting spot, wouldn't look at either Sasuke or Naruto and had very little to say about anything.

_So Sakura probably deserves what she's getting then, _Kakashi mused, fingering the spine of his book. While it was true there'd be no working with them while they were fragmented like this, it seemed that things actually weren't beyond repair; instead of getting abuse from the team, she was being simply ignored. This, according to what Iruka had told him the day before, didn't add up with how he acted in the academy. He and Naruto, though, seemed pretty close...

_It must have been Naruto's influence, _Kakashi decided. For some reason, even though he was the one tricked, he seemed ready to leave the whole incident behind him; the initial shock and hurt at what had been done to him had worn off, and he'd accepted that, like so many others, Sakura didn't like him. _He's probably kicking himself; told himself to see it coming, decided to trust her, got stabbed in the back. _Sakura _did _deserve what she was getting, and it'd be wise to let something like this work itself out.

Still, though, that could take awhile, and Kakashi had to get his (first) students into shape for any upcoming missions they might have. If Naruto was the key to getting everything settled out, then it was time to find the lock.

Kakashi snapped his book shut, ideas formulating in his head.

---

"Sasuke?" Naruto called as he trotted into the kitchen where Sasuke was finishing his dinner. "Sasuke, have you seen Iko?" When Sasuke shook his head, Naruto bit his lip blue eyes bright with worry. "I haven't seen him since we got home...I asked Heijiko but he said that he and the twins were sleeping all day."

Sasuke stood, frowning. "Did we leave any windows open?"

Naruto was almost wringing his hands. "Iko wouldn't run away, he's too scared."

"Something might have caught his eye outside," Sasuke said, running to the foyer and throwing on a light jacket. He pulled Naruto's off the hook and frowned, feeling for the first time how worn and thin it was; he tossed it to the blond, making a mental note to make sure he got a new one, after the little fox was found. Naruto still looked dubious, and Sasuke said, "If he's not in the house, he's gotta be outside. It won't hurt to look."

Naruto hesitated, then nodded, running to shut the only open window in the living room. When he came back, he was pulling his arm through the sleeve of his coat, telling the foxes to behave themselves until they got back.

"We'll start in the woods," the Uchiha said, shutting the door behind Naruto when the blond stepped out. The night air was chilly and Naruto hunched his shoulders as Sasuke spoke. "He might've been chasing a rabbit or something. Like you said, though, he wouldn't have gone far, so neither will we."

Naruto nodded. "Even if he was scared, he'd just curl up somewhere." His gaze, when it was met with the distant trees, was apprehensive of what they might (or might not) find when they ventured in.

---

Iruka opened the door to find a pair of heavily breathing boys on his doorstep, both of whom were disshelved and bright-eyed from the cold. "You two!" Iruka ushered them in. "It's freezing outside, what are you doing?"

"We're looking for Iko, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said pleadingly, leaning against his old teacher with his hands clenched on Iruka's shirt, staring up at him with eyes that begged for help. Sasuke was at Iruka's side, big black eyes (that for so long held nothing but contempt and hate) desperate and hopeful. "We've been looking for hours, and we can't find him! It's going to rain soon, and he'll freeze to death!"

"Naruto, calm down." Iruka took the boy's cold hands in his and knelt to be on his and Sasuke's eye-level. He reached over with one hand to feel Sasuke's face. "_You'll _freeze to death if you keep this up." Seeing them both open their mouths to protest, and knowing quite well that if he told them to abandon their search until morning, they'd leave, he stood again. "_Listen. _You'll just have to get a larger search party, right?"

Sasuke glared. "Who'd help _us _look for a _fox?" _

"You have a team now," Iruka replied gently. "You could try--"

"No," the dark-haired boy said at once. "There's no way."

"Sasuke," Naruto said, "give her one more chance. Please?" He really was worried; and if there was even the slightest possibility of getting more help in finding the little creature, he would jump at it. "For Iko, Sasuke, please?"

Sasuke's frown turned into a scowl, and he crossed his arms. "Dammit, I hate her," he muttered, not looking at Naruto. "But I'll give her another try. For Iko." His words earned him a delighted smile, and Iruka was pulling on his own coat.

"Well, in that case," the school teacher said, "let's get a move on." Naruto nodded, rushing outside; Sasuke followed, looking less than enthusiastic. _Dammit, Iko, _he thought with gritted teeth, _you better be okay. _

---

When there was a knock at the door, Sakura stood and said, "I'll get it," setting her book aside and trotting to the front door. When she pulled it open, she did not expect to see her old teacher Iruka standing on the doorstep, along with an apologetic Naruto and a sullen Sasuke. "Wh....What are you--" 

"Hello, Sakura-chan," Iruka said cheerily, smiling at her. "We were wondering if you might help us with a little problem we were facing. Of course, it's entirely up to you."

Sakura blinked, unsure of what to say. She glanced past him at her teammates, and instinctively made herself small. "Um...I don't know if..."

"Sakura." This time it was Naruto. "I'm not sure what I did to you to make you think you needed to lie to me," he said quietly, "but whatever it was, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Naruto!" Sasuke snapped, looking incredulous. "She's the one who--" Iruka silenced him with a look, and he fumed silently.

"He's right, Naruto, you don't," Sakura said quickly. It was a shock, to be certain: she'd done what she did because she thought he deserved it. She'd been raised to believe he was a demon, a monster who would turn on her quickly, without warning or mercy. But after the incident, it had been Sasuke who lit up with fury--Naruto had remained calm, would not look at her; she'd seen the hurt in his eyes. Ever since then, she'd been thinking; she couldn't bring herself to approach him during their mission, not only because of Sasuke's cold eyes, but because she had no clue where to begin. And yet there he was, on her doorstep, apologizing for a wrong he'd never commited. Looking at him now, an angel-faced blond with bright blue eyes, she wondered how she ever could have believed him a monster. "It was horrible of me, I don't know what I was thinking. I hope you can forgive me someday, I really am sorry." She meant those words; she wanted him to know she meant them.

And he smiled at her, taking one of her hands; he said nothing, but forgiveness was plain in his eyes. Forgiveness and gratitude; he'd stopped being upset long ago. A quick glance at the raven-haired boy proved him not to be glaring at her; simply watching her now, no anger left in his gaze. She felt tears well in her eyes and raised her free hand to brush them away.

"Not that this isn't a beautiful moment," Sasuke muttered, "but we do have a fox to find."

"Sakura-san," Naruto said quickly, "would you help us with something?"

Sakura tilted her head. "With what?"

"See, there's this fox named Iko and he's lost," Naruto replied. "He's really small and it's so cold outside; Sasuke and I haven't been able to find him anywhere."

Sakura motioned for them to wait, then ran back inside. She told her parents she had to finish something from her last mission and they told her to be careful; she ran up to her room to grab her coat and made it to the door again. Zipping up her coat and pulling the door closed behind her, she asked, "Have you checked the forest already?"

Approvingly, Sasuke said, "Yeah, we have. We're pretty sure he's not there." He glanced at Naruto. "I've got an idea."

---

Kakashi, reclined in his chair, sensed someone coming only moments before his door burst open. A fuming Uchiha stood in the doorway, panting, and was soon followed by his two cellmates and Iruka. "You!" The boy jabbed a finger at him. "Did you take Iko!?"

"Sasuke," Iruka reprimanded him, "he's your sensei, show some respect!"

Kakashi stood, setting down his book, completely unconcerned with the sudden intrusion of his household. "Iko?" he asked politely.

"Don't play dumb, I _know _you know," Sasuke continued, glaring. "You probably took him right out of the house, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid I've got no clue what's going on here," he confessed to Iruka, who was holding his forehead. He glanced back at his cell. "Shouldn't you three be resting up for tomorrow's mission?" _This is unexpected--Sakura's with them. _

"Sasuke, let's keep looking," Naruto said, tugging on his friend's sleeve. "He's not here."

Sakura had her hands cupped around her ears to warm them, but she nodded as well. "He would've come running if he'd heard Naruto's voice," she said. "And even sensei wouldn't tie up a harmless little fox."

"That's a compliment, I'm sure."

"Che," Sasuke turned. "Fine." Before Iruka had time to tell him to apologize, he and his teammates rushed out again, the door slamming shut behind them.

"Isn't it a little late for these games?" the masked man asked the brunet, who sank onto his couch with a sigh.

"Sorry about that, Hatake-kun," came his response. "Iko's their pet fox. They've been searching for hours, they're about at their wits' end."

Kakashi smiled. "I see."

---

"Do you think we should ask Kiba for help?" Sasuke called over to Naruto as they ran, bodies tilted forward, arms down at their sides.

"He's on a team, too," Naruto replied, pitching his voice to be heard, "with Hinata and Shino. I'm sure they'd want to help us, but they're probably tired, too." Because Team Seven sure as hell was; not only were they still exhausted from their own mission, but it was freaking _cold _and they needed this time to get some sleep for their upcoming one.

"In any case, there's no place left to look," Sakura said from Naruto's other side, her breath misting in the cold air. "We've been everywhere--where can we go now?"

Naruto raised his head suddenly, sniffing the air much like a dog, before biting his lip. Sasuke saw, and asked, "What? What is it?" He wanted to ask, _Do you smell him?! _but wasn't sure if they should let Sakura in on the little secret that Naruto's sense of smell was much stronger than the average person's, as was his hearing; it came with living with foxes, apparently.

"Have we checked the training field where we had our first group meeting?" came the blond's response.

Sakura's face brightened; "No, we haven't! Why didn't we think of that before?"

"He's gotta be there," Naruto said, voice weak with relief; Sasuke let out a breath, grinning. Yeah--he'd smelled him. Iko was definitely in those fields. And sure, enough when they arrived (doubled over to regain their breath as well as to take a minute to feel sorry for themselves), the little fox dashed out from where it had been hiding behind one of the targets and rushing quickly into Naruto's open arms. It was shivering, from both cold and fear, and made strangled whimpering noises as it attempted to burry itself in Naruto's jacket.

"I'm glad we found him before it started raining," Sasuke said, petting the fox gently. "That would have been bad."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, before turning to smile at Sakura. "Thanks so much for coming, Sakura-san. I know you're just as tired as we are."

She smiled, shaking her head. "It was the least I could do after how horrible I was." She moved forward to let him sniff her fingers and her smile widened when he rubbed his head against her hand. "So this is Iko?" She giggled when he yipped, recognizing his name.

"Yeah," Sasuke said, "and he has three big brothers who are probably worried for him back home. Right, little guy?" His voice got softer when he addressed the little thing, and Sakura felt her heart beat a little faster. She looked at Naruto, whose blue eyes were smiling and kind, then down at her hands, pale and cold; somehow, she'd found two amazing people. Could she ever find it in her to be as warm as they were?

From the trees, Kakashi watched the three of them start walking back to the village, talking with each other enthusiastically about how they'd all sleep in tomorrow, mission or not. He followed them through the dark streets, as silent as a shadow, keeping a wary eye on the dimly lit alleys they passed on their way; he didn't trust every adult around these parts at night. He hung back, almost invisible in the night, as Naruto and Sasuke stopped by Sakura's house with her, to see that she got there safely even if it was out of their way. He followed them back to their house, gazing at them through the huge living room window as they set Iko down to recieve ministrations from the other foxes, and fell to the floor on their nest of blankets without bothering to take off their coats or slip off their shoes.

He smiled.

_You pass._

**Yaaaay, stalker-sensei!! Omg, I know this sucked hard, but pleaaase don't give up on me yet!! D8**

**ANY STORY IDEAS YOU WISH TO SEE HAPPEN FOR GBtB, PLEASE GIVE TO ME WHEN YOU REVIEW. I will seriously consider each and every one of them. Scout's honor (GIRLS CAN SAY THAT TOO).**

**-Tai**


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